Rebirths and Revelations
by Mariyekos
Summary: Confronting his future self upon Grima's back, Robin accepts his fate and approaching death. But instead of fading away into nonexistence, he wakes up in a new field with three new people leaning over him, this time two princesses and a butler. Just what was going on? A what-if story about M!Robin being inserted into the Revelation path. F!Corrin, pairings up for suggestion.
1. The Fourth Path

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! How are you? I really love both Awakening and Fates, and am always thinking up little scenarios, so I decided to write them down for once. I expect this to end around the 400,000 word mark, but that's definitely not set in stone. Though I'll be generally following the Revelation storyline, I will be diverging from game events to a certain extent at later points as Robin's presence changes things up a little bit. Further notes can be found at the end of the chapter. By the way, the first 22 chapters are signed "Eruran out." because Eruran was my username when I first published this. I'm Mariyekos now as you can see, so that's the reason for the Eruran thing. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

The wind was howling all around him, the sounds of clashing weapons, rumbling magic, and shouts of pain belonging to both enemy and ally filling the air as Robin stood before his dark counterpart. After all that he and his companions had gone through facing Grima, after all the terror and suffering the dragon god had inflicted upon civilian and soldier alike, Robin had finally managed to reach him face-to-face. With their proximity, he at last had the opportunity he'd longed for over the course of the war: to end everything once and for all.

"I won't let you wreak havoc on Ylisse or Plegia or Regna Ferox or anywhere else ever again, Grima! These breaths will be your last!" Robin shouted, fury gleaming in his eyes as he lifted his hand to cast one final spell.

There was no way he could back down.

"Oh really?" A small smile grew on Grima's face. The dragon didn't believe Robin, evidently. But despite the confidence he was presenting, a small sliver of doubt had begun to make its way into Grima's sinister expression. "You wouldn't seriously try to kill me, would you? You don't have it in you. You and I both know what happens if you somehow succeed. If by some stroke of luck you do kill me, I won't be the only one to fall."

Grima took a breath. "Now, you're not the kind of man who would do that are you? To abandon your friends and allies after they've poured so much of their hearts into loving you. They would miss you, and who are you to cause them such pain, to rip away their happiness?

"And tell me, what of your army? It would fall apart without you at the lead. The Shepherds were little more than a passing country guard before you joined. His Majesty over there is a warrior, not a tactician. While I can't deny his skill with that damned blade he holds, I would be lying if I said I held any confidence in his leadership abilities. I pity the council assembled to aid in during his rule. So surely you jest," Grima said.

The longer the Fell Dragon continued on, the more Robin felt Grima was stalling, trying to buy time before the inevitable happened. Either Robin would land the final blow and Grima would die, or Chrom would get the last hit in and Grima would be condemned to another thousand-year sleep.

There was always the possibility that Grima would win, and that he'd be able to avoid the pain that would accompany his defeat. But the Risen were being cut down faster than Grima could spawn them, and it was only a matter of time before the Shepherds closed in on Grima and either Robin or Chrom cut him down.

Grima was no idiot. He wouldn't have succeeded in Lucina's timeline if he was. He wouldn't have been so successful in Robin's timeline if he was.

Raw power could only get one so far. The Hierophant had meddled with events for years, even before Grima's dragon form dominated the skies. Grima was no idiot, and that meant he was perfectly aware of how slim his chance of victory was.

Then why did he seem so calm? Perhaps calm wasn't the perfect word, but Grima didn't seem nearly as frantic as someone facing their own death should be. No one with any regard for their own life just stood there talking. They kicked and screamed and hurled dark magic every which way.

But... could Robin really say that with any kind of certainty? Who had he ever faced that was in such a position as Grima was?

"Robin, no!" A voice behind the tactician practically screamed, making Grima raise an eyebrow and Robin turn. Two Risen were on the ground by Chrom's feet, the man kicking them out of the way as he ran toward the two cloaked figures before him.

"Please Robin, you can't do this! I can kill him! We can send him back to sleep for a long time, so he won't wake until long after you and I and our children and grandchildren die! You don't have to do this! We all love you! We can't lose one of our best friends! _I_ can't lose my best friend" Chrom choked out, his voice breaking at the end of his words. "We're two halves of the same whole, aren't we!? You can't leave me- you can't leave us behind!"

Chrom was only a few feet away from them when two more Risen materialized, one in front of the man, one behind. The one in the back grabbed Chrom by the neck, throwing him backward. Chrom flipped over, rolling for a moment before he stopped himself and rose to his feet, pulling Falchion out. He threw another glance toward Robin, his eyes pleading for Robin not do what Robin knew he had to. The Risen then closed in on Chrom, forcing him to fight them before he could attempt to reach Grima to deal the final blow.

Robin sighed at his friend's attempts. It was hopeless. He supposed he should thank Grima for stopping Chrom from getting in his way, but it really wasn't the time.

It didn't really matter anyway, because Grima spoke before Robin had the chance.

"Your friend's words only serve to back up my own. Just let Naga's favorite do it, let it be someone else's problem. Your friends will be crushed without you. You have proof. Furthermore, how do you know that killing me won't destroy both this form and the large one, of which you all seem so afraid? Because, unless you've forgotten, we _are_ standing on its back; on _my_ back, regardless of whether or not we hail from the same time. If my death does bring about its disappearance, your friends will all fall to their deaths. There aren't nearly enough pegasi or wyverns to carry everyone, and even your manakete friends don't have the strength to lift more than three or four others without their wings failing them.

"Is that really what you want? To bring about the deaths of all those who have considered you their friend despite the fact that you and I, replaceable tactician and their mortal enemy, are one and the same?" The grin Grima wore widened. Yet, for some reason he still kept still, not so much as lifting a finger as Robin stood, trying to keep himself from shaking.

Robin shook his head at his counterpart's words, looking down at the rugged back of the creature he shared a soul with. Everything he had done since the time he had woken up in that field had led up to this. Everything he had ever done in his life had led up to this. At least, everything in the life he could remember. Chrom's face over his was the earliest item in the small bank of memories he called his own. And that was why he had to make this choice.

"You're right. I can't do that to him. I can't do had to any of my friends. I'm not going to let anyone die if I can help it. And that's why I'm going to cut you down here," Robin said, straight faced. Grima raised an eyebrow at the tactician's lack of emotion, an unreadable expression settling on his face.

Robin didn't respond to the Fell Dragon's move. Instead he continued adding power to the growing spell in his hand. "My friends won't be falling to their deaths today. I'm counting on Naga to transport everyone to safety when I bring you down. She's helped us with so much so far, and I believe in her ability to help us one more time. After all, she's how we got up here in the first place. If I let you live just because I'm worried she won't be able to save them in time, then you'll just come back and terrorize the people of this world yet again. I love each and every one of my friends with everything I have, and there's no way I'm going to let you come back to ruin the lives of their descendants because of some baseless doubt. Listening to the stories of Lucina and her companions was hard enough, and I don't want anyone else to be forced to endure and speak of that again. So you will meet your end here, Grima! We die together!" Robin screamed, releasing the spell upon his counterpart and himself. It was the end.

Lightning flowed from Robin's hand as more crashed down from the heavens, striking Grima with a force that echoed through Robin's soul.

Grima choked, and uttered a noise so inhuman that it made everyone on the dragon's back stumble and turn toward him. Both he and Robin were engulfed in a new bright light then, the shine blinding those looking in their direction, as a deep screech echoed through the air.

Immediately, all of Grima's troops fizzled into nothingness.

Without any enemies holding him back, Chrom rushed towards the bright light that surrounded the area his best friend had been standing in. Neither the tactician nor the figure he'd been facing were visible through the shine.

"Robin!" Chrom howled, sliding to his knees in front of the pillar of light that was oh-so-slowly fading away. "Robin, please! You can't be…!"

Chrom began to shake, choking on the tears that streamed down his face. The other Shepherds stood frozen with shock, one by one beginning to react in their own displays of horror, whether that was looking away, throwing their hands to their face, or falling to their knees in disbelief. Lissa stumbled over to her brother with a terrified look on her face, clutching at his back. After a short moment, she began to bawl into his shoulder, holding onto the shredded remains of his cape.

Finally, the light dissipated, leaving a lone figure standing in the area it had just occupied.

Swaying back and forth was a man in a tattered cloak, charred and coughing up blood. Shaking, he turned around, a broken smile visible on his face.

"I know you didn't want me to do it, but I wasn't about to let him win. Sealing him away isn't victory - it's just shoving our problem onto someone else." Robin coughed, smile faltering. He plastered it back up a second later.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't think of another way. I mean, I'm the tactician, finding new and unheard of strategies is my job. But it looks like I couldn't manage it this time. Keep everyone safe for me, will you? Because I'm trusting you to run this army without me. Although, you did a pretty great job even before I came, so I'm sure you'll manage."

 _No matter_ what _Grima thinks. Or thought. It's all over now._

"...Thank you so much for everything, Chrom. I'll never forget you, no matter where I end up after this, be it sweet afterlife or some terrible purgatory. I love you all. I couldn't have asked for a better life. So, thanks again… and… goodbye…" Robin closed his eyes, smile softening as he too faded away, not leaving a single drop of blood or even a tattered scrap of clothing behind.

"Robin…" Chrom whispered, trembling as he finally collapsed, Lissa screaming their friend's name over and over, shaking even more than he was.

But it was no use. Robin was gone. He had saved everyone; the Fell Dragon was no more. That didn't stop the pain that Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds felt though, not even after the normally soothing and calming light of Naga engulfed them and transported them back down to a field of soft grass and flowers. Robin was gone, and nothing could replace him. Nothing.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I can't betray anyone," an armored girl said with despair, tightly gripping the ornate sword she had in her hands. "Ryoma, I'm so happy that I got to meet you and my birth family for the first time since I was a child! Being with you all was amazing, and I can't begin to express how loved and wanted I felt with you all, and how much I want to stay with you. But… I don't want to abandon the family that I grew up with either. They raised me, and they're pretty much all I can remember. I can't just leave them behind," she explained, looking at the man she had just referred to. The Swordmaster's face dropped, confusion gleaming in his eyes.

Meanwhile, his taller opposite smiled, and began to open his mouth to praise his younger sister. She cut him off before he could get a word in though.

" _But_ , I can't side with you and abandon them either, Xander. I'll always love you, and Camilla, and Leo, and Elise, and everyone else that I've spent time with during my days in Nohr. But the people of Hoshido are kind and understanding, and they deserve respect. Father sent me to that outpost for a reason. The way things are going, I can't help but feel like I'll end up fighting Ryoma and the others if I stay with you.

"You're the only family I remember, but they're my only blood relatives, and I can't choose one over the other. I'm sorry, but I just-"

"Really?" Xander interrupted, voice low and slow, interrupting his younger sister. "We raised you as our own. I treated you as my dear sister despite knowing that we held no blood relation. I spent every moment Father would allow me to spend with you by your side, teaching you what I could of the world and of swordsmanship. I gave you all I could given the circumstances, and I know Camilla, Leo, and Elise did their best as well. Yet you decide that our love and devotion is completely worthless in the end. That all our effort means nothing when compared to these cowards who never even crossed into our country's borders to look for you! The closest they came was hiring someone from another country to capture one of our own, and taking her into their possession at the border. They didn't come here to save you. They didn't try as we did.

"But I know that you've made up your mind. Nothing I say will sway you at this point, will it? Fine then! I see what you're trying to do, but let me tell you, it is an impossible task. As the one who's raised you in place of Father and these Hoshidans, I'll take it upon myself to teach you what is true and what is a hopeless wish, so that you may avoid being hurt by unrealistic ideals... Prepare yourself, Corrin. You'll be returning with me whether you want to or not," Xander said, guiding his horse forward. He raised his sword to the sky.

Ryoma grit his teeth behind her. "Then that is your choice, Corrin? To leave us yet again? I see that the Nohrian ways have imprinted heavily upon you during your time with them. But that means nothing. We have just gotten you back, and will not be letting go again! Not after so long! Blood ties cannot be broken, nor can they be beaten You are our sibling, and you _will_ be returning with us!"

Drawing Raijinto, Ryoma pointed it forward, aiming the tip in the direction of Xander's head. "Now raise your sword, Crown Prince of Nohr! Corrin will not make the choice herself, so the decision falls into our hand. Get ready - we shall fight to decide who it is that will be taking Corrin home!" Ryoma announced. Lightning sparked across Raijinto's blade.

Corrin, meanwhile, tried to get in between the two men to stop them from fighting. When she announced her choice (or lack thereof), it was because she didn't want to fight any of her siblings, blood or no. She didn't want them to start fighting each other!

"Wait, no, you don't understand! Just _listen_ to me, please -" Corrin begged, before being cut off by Ryoma's shouts.

"Hinoka, call the troops, prepare for battle! We must defeat these Nohrians before they trespass any further into our territory, and so we can reclaim the sister that is rightfully ours. We will be triumphant today, and claim our just victory after the underhanded tactics seen during our last encounter! " Ryoma called, sheathing Raijinto to run toward his red haired sister.

Corrin began to run after him. "Please, Ryoma, just-"

"Camilla, Leo, summon the wyvern riders! It's time to crush these Hoshidans and take Corrin back with us, and to prove the superiority of Nohr!" Xander ordered, turning his horse around to go back to his siblings.

Corrin swung around to face Xander instead, taking a few steps in the direction he'd gone off in. "Big brother please, thi-"

"Little Princess, you'd best be making your way away from the battleground before you get caught up in all the fighting. I promise we'll accept you when you finally come to your senses, but for now you should stay out of this and retain your health. If you truly love your Hoshidan siblings, I'm sure they would much rather you stay safe as well." Xander said absently, before directing his mount to speed away.

Their figures grew smaller, and soon Corrin was left standing in a field full of men and women who wanted her and each other's heads. After watching her older brothers completely ignore her, begin to fight each other, and leave her behind, Corrin was at a loss as to what to do. She had no one…

"All I wanted to do was stop the fighting. I didn't want to betray anyone. I just couldn't choose one side and leave the other behind. Is that so hard to understand?" Corrin mumbled.

"Corrin," Azura said softly, breaking Corrin out of her thoughts. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but you have to choose. I'll follow you no matter what you do, but there are only two of us. How do you expect to win against two full armies?" The worry was evident in Azura's voice, and Corrin felt bad. If things weren't resolved quickly, they would both end up dead within a matter of days. Maybe even hours.

"I don't want to fight them both Azura, but I just can't choose. How could I fight the only family I've ever known? And how could I fight the family that I was born to, the one that still loves me even though I've never been there? There is no choice to make, Azura, I can't fight any of them," Corrin lamented, voice wavering as tears began to fall down her face.

The more she thought about it, the grimmer the situation became. Azura was right. They were two people against two armies. Two countries. Two countries that made up about eighty percent of the world. They had no chance of winning if Hoshido or Nohr or gods forbid _both_ sent troops after their heads.

As it was, she was in the middle of a battlefield with enemies surrounding her on all sides. Even if she did somehow make it off the battlefield with her life, she would be public enemy number one, because a traitor was worse than any other type of criminal a person could even imagine. Whether she was dragged back by Ryoma or carried home by Xander, she wasn't going to escape without one country and one set of siblings hating her. Guilt and hate were guaranteed.

Corrin was firm in her decision despite what was stacked against her. But she wanted Azura to know that she still had a choice. "Are you sure you can do this? Fight the family that raised you?"

"Of course. And I could say the same to you. But I'm confident that you've made the right choice. I'll follow you, no matter where you go, Corrin. We're in this together," Azura assured her friend, grasping the conflicted girl's hands in her own.

A new voice entered the scene, causing the two to separate and look towards its source. "Lady Corrin! I've finally caught up to you! I'm sorry it took so long, but I've been searching for you non-stop since we were separated in the Bottomless Canyon." Jakob entered suddenly, appearing out of the thick brush and trees behind them. He then eyed Azura up and down. "And who might this girl be? Would you mind telling me what's going on?"

"Jakob! Oh thank the gods you're here. This is Azura, a Nohrian princess kidnapped by the Hoshidans in retaliation for what happened to me. Right now she's our only ally, so I want you to treat her as you do me.

"As for what's going on, after we got separated I ended up in Hoshido where I met my birth family. I'm not sure whether or not you knew, and I'm not totally sure if I want you to tell me, but it turns out I'm some missing Hoshidan princess Father kidnapped back when he killed King Sumeragi. They were wonderful people, but Queen Mikoto died because of me, and now I don't know what to do. I'm here and there are two sides fighting because of me, and I can't get them to stop. Xander and Ryoma are both set on taking me back with them, but I can't choose a side! Now Azura and I are trying to come up with the best strategy to end this fighting, escape, and figure out what we've got going for us," Corrin explained, pursing her lips together.

Jakob's eye twitched, and he threw up a stiff smile. "My lady, you're not pulling my leg are you? You're not seriously telling me that you've made yourself enemy of both Hoshido and Nohr, right? That we should fight not just one, but two armies all on our own?"

A worried look and a blank stare met the butler in response.

Azura began to rub her hands together. "Well... it doesn't seem Xander or Ryoma are specifically trying to fight us at the moment. They're more concerned with eliminating the other and clearing the field so they can claim Corrin without needing to worry about the other set of siblings chasing after them. Or possibly with sending a message by defeating the enemy general at their first meeting. Either way, we're not their targets as of now, so there's no need to be so worried?"

Corrin didn't really think Azura sounded not-worried enough to be saying what she was, but Corrin wasn't going to comment.

Jakob nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. A moment later he continued. "...Well then, don't just stand there. It's time to give these unruly soldiers a taste of their own medicine, don't you agree?" he huffed, moving towards the Hoshidan troops to their left.

"You're planning on fighting them, then? I told you, they're not after right now. We can probably escape while Xander and Ryoma's troops are distracted fighting each other. You do understand that our force of three can't possibly take down all the soldiers in front of us, not to mention the entire armies of Hoshido and Nohr that would pursue us if by some miracle we were to succeed here." Azura tried to reason with Jakob as he started on his path to death.

"The armies will pursue us regardless of whether we fight today or run. You said Corrin was wanted by both countries, did you not? They aren't going to let her run free just because she escaped today. So, I say we send a message.

"See just past the grove? The three lone Hoshidans? I'd guess that one of them is their leader, attempting to launch a surprise attack on whichever Nohrians come this way. If we defeat them, then we would surely draw Ryoma's attention enough to confuse him, and possibly end his current pursuit."

"But what about the Nohrians?" Corrin asked. Though not in the best physical condition when compared to her older siblings, Corrin was at least confident in her eyesight and could see three wyvern riders in the distance.

Jakob was the one to respond. "They'll simply come to us. We can defeat the Hoshidans first, and then the Nohrians once they come close enough. If an important figure is also with them, then we may be able to stay Xander's hand for the moment. Plus, by attacking both groups, you'll be proving your resolve, which should buy you some more time before they hunt you down. As Azura said, neither seems to want to hurt you, so they'll likely pause when they see you're serious about going against them both if it means you cannot side with either.

"No more dilly dallying, then. We shall defeat these men before they can do us harm! I will not let a single sword befall Milady today, nor ever!"

"Heh, of course, Jakob!" Corrin giggled, glad that at least Jakob didn't seem to be too thrown off by their situation.

Jakob was the first one to land a hit, his dagger making its way into the neck of the first of the Hoshidan soldiers. When they fell, their two companions turned, running toward Jakob.

A spear fighter was the first to make it to them, Azura getting in front of Jakob to stop the enemy's naginata from cutting the butler. While the spear fighter concentrated on Azura Corrin came from behind, lunging forward as she drove Yato through the fighter's abdomen.

The last of the three Hoshidans was a samurai. He locked swords with Corrin as she pulled Yato out of the spear fighter, shoving the princess back. She lost her balance, stumbling momentarily and allowing the samurai to cut across her chest. Her armor prevented the sword from drawing any blood, but the blow tore into the blue fabric that went over it. Jakob stabbed a dagger into the samurai's back, causing the man's back to spasm and allowing Corrin time to back up and regain her footing.

Jakob backed off before he could take a hit as Corrin swung at the samurai. The samurai took the hit and fell forward, dead. Then, the sound of flapping wings filled the air, signalling the Nohrians' approach.

The fact that the Hoshidans came at them separately had been the main reason things went so smoothly. When the Nohrians rushed at Corrin, Azura, and Jakob, they came all at once.

The first wyvern rider headed for Corrin, his axe aimed for her head. She dodged to the side, and raised Yato to meet the axe's head.

Azura meanwhile speared one of the wyvern's wings, causing it to buck. The rider lost her grip on her axe in an attempt to hold on, giving Corrin the opportunity to slash the rider's chest, knocking her off her wyvern and knocking the rider out.

To her side, she saw Jakob felling the other rider. It was quick, and Jakob looked relatively fine. But he only had one dagger. So when the third wyvern rider went to attack the butler, all Jakob was able to do was defend.

Azura took a similar approach to the third wyvern rider as she did the first. Stabbing its wing caused the wyvern to buck just as the other had, but the rider was better at holding on than the other one had. They didn't lose their grip on their axe, but they did falter long enough for Corrin and Jakob to each get in hits, dismounting the rider and dropping them into the river. They lost their axe in the fall, the axe being swept away by the current.

When they rose, Corrin held a sword to their throat.

"Leave us alone, and we won't do anything. We're not looking to hurt anyone, so if you fly back we'll let you go. Promise," she said.

The wyvern rider rose to their feet and nodded, mounting their wyvern and flying back in the directions they'd come from.

A short time later both the Nohrians and Hoshidans retreated, leaving Azura, Jakob, and Corrin alone in the large clearing.

"So, what do we do now?" Azura asked, looking out at the sun which was still relatively high in the sky, though beginning to dip down towards the horizon.

"Good question. For now, let's go to town and find something to eat. Word may spread fast, but I think we should be fine for now," Corrin answered, walking back the way Jakob had come from.

"Milady, are you sure that this is the best course of action?" Jakob was concerned if his voice was any indication. But he was always concerned when it came to Corrin, so she shrugged it off.

"Oh shush, Jakob. You're such a worrywart." Corrin scoffed, waving off her hovering butler as she weaved her way through the branches and bushes that lined their path.

Once or twice they had to pause as parts of Azura's dress or veil got caught on some branch or another, but otherwise the small group proceeded normally, only slightly slowed by the wardrobe problems. Eventually they reached a new clearing, with a town visible in the distance due to the smoke that floated into the air and a tall spire that marked a place of worship. In the middle of the clearing, however, was something quite out of the ordinary. Lying face down in a cloak covered in odd markings appeared to be a person of some sort, one who seemed quite unconscious. It was hard to tell, given their hood covered most of their face.

"Oh no!" Corrin cried, rushing over to the fallen figure. "Jakob, get your staff and help me!" she ordered, kneeling over the cloaked figure who hadn't so much as twitched at the volume of her voice or her presence at their side.

"Milady, what are you doing? What if they're an assassin? And we are on the run from not just one, but _two_ armies! We need to save my staff in case an emergency in which you get hurt occurs. We shouldn't just use it willy nilly on random strangers taking naps in fields!" Jakob responded, rushing over to the two nonetheless. Azura followed, curious as to the identity of the new person.

"Mmmm…" the figure groaned, sitting up. They raised a hand to their face, rubbing their eyes.

"Hey, are you okay there?" Corrin asked, leaning towards the dazed figure.

"Wh-" The cloaked man looked around, taking in his surroundings. "Excuse me?"

"Beg pardon, sir, but you seem to have been lying in the middle of a field for no good reason, quite unconscious, within walking distance of both a battleground and a perfectly well running town, which is utterly stupid if you ask me." Jakob snapped, cutting off Corrin before she could get a word in.

"Oh. I'm sorry about that. If you don't mind me asking, where are we? And what was that about a battlefield? I'm not really sure how I got here…" the figure said, turning his head back and forth to get a better view of his surroundings.

"You are kidding me," Jakob deadpanned, not believing the words he had just heard.

"You're in the land of Hoshido." Azura answered quickly, not counting on Jakob to say something that wasn't offensive. "And as for what's going on, it's too complicated to explain before darkness falls. We'll have to explain later."

"Thank you, miss…?" the new man dropped off, waiting for a name for the most level headed member of the group.

"Azura. The man to my left is Jakob, and my friend kneeling next to you is Corrin," she told him, happy that he seemed kind despite Jakob's rudeness.

"Ah, thank you. My name is…" the figure paused for a moment, frowning, before continuing, "Robin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He then stood up and held his hand out to Azura, causing her to stare at it for just a moment before she grasped it, her hand moving up and down to follow his movements as he shook the limp digits in his hand. Noticing her lack of true participation in the handshake, Robin frowned yet again.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

Azura blushed. "Oh, I apologize. I feel fine. It's just that I've been in Hoshido so long that I've… forgotten what a handshake entails. It's a tradition typically only practiced in Nohr."

"Hoshido? Nohr?" Robin asked, not quite processing what she said. She had mentioned Hoshido earlier, but he figured it was just him groggily mistaking what she said for something else. Apparently, it wasn't.

"Yes, Hoshido and Nohr. What are you, an amnesiac?" Jakob interrupted yet again, impatient with the other man.

Robin took a second before responding, thinking something over.

"...It appears so," he said matter-of-factly, a smile appearing on his face.

He was strangely calm about his situation.

"..." Jakob was left speechless at this, not knowing how to respond. Azura was left much the same, and opened her mouth to say something before closing it, nothing coming to mind.

"Oh that's terrible!" Corrin exclaimed. "Well, Robin, how about you come with us until you get your memories back! I'll explain everything to you once we get to the inn, okay?"

"Are you sure about that, Corrin? I don't think I have any money, so I can't pay you. I don't want to be a burden!" Robin replied.

"Oh, it's fine! Don't worry about it. Anyway, we better get going, the sun's going to set soon and I want to get to the inn before the evening crowd takes up all the rooms," Corrin said sweetly, taking Robin's hand in her own before she set a swift pace towards the smoke and spire in the distance.

"Oh goodness. What have we gotten ourselves into?" Jakob sighed, following his mistress and the mystery man.

"What have we gotten ourselves into indeed…" Azura added, walking behind the grumbling butler.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that's chapter one. Things will get much more interesting in a chapter or two, don't worry. I also won't be going by the exact script, for those of you who like to cross check. Of course, I'll be taking inspiration from the lines said in game, and might copy one down here or there if I love how it's phrased, but most of what you see will be original. The game's not the most dialogue heavy, so I have a good amount of room to fill in. By the way, Robin's "amnesia" will be explained next chapter. The quotation marks are there for a reason.**

 **As for shipping, I don't really have anything planned. Only four ships are "canon" as of yet in this story, relating to the Awakening Trio's parents and Robin being single at the end of Awakening. I'm probably going to leave Robin single throughout the story too. Maybe not, but...** **Moving on, I'm open to whatever ships you guys want! Whether it be "ship x with y," "don't ship x with y," "ship x with someone," "don't ship x with anyone," or whatever, I'm open to suggestions. Thank you for reading.**

 **Originally published August 4, 2016. First edited on March 4, 2017. Republished/edited May 4, 2018. New word count: 5,207 without A/Ns.**

 **Eruran out.**


	2. In Town, and Gaining a New Companion

**By the way, I've revised my first chapter by toning down how aggressive Ryoma and Xander were, and by tweaking a few other things that won't really affect the story in any way, but you might want to check out nonetheless. I also added a poll on the update schedule to my profile, so check it out. Do I even need a disclaimer? If so, let this apply to all chapters and know I obviously don't own the Fire Emblem series.**

 **Now to the story!**

* * *

"Mmmm. What would you like to eat, Robin? I think I could go for good steak and greens," Corrin asked, practically skipping towards the nearest stall.

"Lady Corrin, I ask that you don't speak so loudly. Out outfits are suspicious enough, we don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves. And remember, we are currently in Hoshido, which has been at war with Nohr for years. Asking for Nohrian dishes won't improve our situations any, so you'll have to refrain from ordering your usual favorites. If you truly wish, though, I can search out the ingredients and prepare the food myself," Jakob warned, sighing at his Mistress's naïvety.

"Oh. I'm sorry about that, Jakob," Corrin said, slowing as her face settled into a frown. "I never really thought about it. In the castle everything just kind of came to me. I never had to worry about all the Hoshidan-Nohrian conflicts. I guess I'm really going to have to step up my game if we're going to pull this thing off, aren't I?" she chuckled softly, before continuing on to the food stand with a more determined expression.

"The castle? So you are princesses, huh?" Robin said to himself as he followed the bounding girl.

"Princess- _es_? How did you know that we both are, Robin?" Azura asked, knowing that neither she nor Jakob had mentioned it, and that Corrin wasn't the type to flaunt their royal blood.

"Your general demeanor. If Corrin is a princess like you just confirmed and I inferred due to her description of living in the castle, then you, who are much more formal, likely are too. You seem accustomed to Jakob's mannerisms more than the average person as well, so it just makes sense. To add on, you just… have a royal air about you, no matter what you do," the tactician shrugged, trying to put words to the feeling he had. He was also trying not to give away the fact that he wasn't really a complete amnesiac, and actually not only knew, but was good friends with, royalty. He was an amnesiac in the sense of not being able to remember anything before his first encounter with Chrom, but he did remember what he was doing right before he woke up with a different C-named figure above him.

"Hmph. If that's what you say," Jakob hummed, obviously not believing a thing Robin had said.

'How nostalgic,' Robin noted, thinking about how similar it was to the first time he woke up in a field. Again there were 3 people, one of which had blue hair, one was a grumpy servant of some sort, and the third was a peppy girl. There were of course differences, as Chrom and Azura were only similar in that they were both royal and both had blue hair, Jakob seemed to be more of a jerk in general than Frederick, and Corrin seemed less of a pampered princess than Lissa, but connections were easy to make and similarities easy to spot.

"What'cha thinkin' about, Robin?" Corrin asked, drawing Robin's attention back to his current situation. It seemed that she, not recognizing the dishes at the stand, had roped Azura and Jakob into ordering something for her.

"Mmm. Just trying to remember. This seems familiar somehow. Not the area or anything. But more like the… situation. Maybe I'm amnesia prone or something! Don't worry about me, though. I'm sure my memories will come back soon. For now, I at least know my name and how to protect myself, so I should be fine," Robin said, shaking off Corrin's questions before they got to a point that he wouldn't be able to deflect them.

Or… he theoretically knew how to protect himself. Though Vaike had insisted on training him in hand to hand combat, (the lessons of which were more undignified wrestling matches where the smaller tactician left bruised and limping, hardly better than before unless you counted stronger in the sense of wariness) and Chrom would drag him out to the training field and give him _actual_ lessons during the two year gap between wars, Robin wouldn't ever willingly challenge someone unarmed. Which he was at the moment.

"Oh. Well, how are you feeling, then?" the girl questioned, curious as to what exactly was going on with her newest companion.

"I have a slight headache and my body aches a bit, but that's probably just a result of whatever messed up my memory. Are there any such things as memory spells? Ones specific aimed at erasing memories, at least. I've read books that say… that say… err… I'm sure I've read something on memory. Why can't I…" Robin answered, scrunching his eyebrows as he trailed off. That would look convincing enough to her, right?

"Don't worry about remembering if it hurts, Robin! And no, I don't know if any things like memory spells exist. Though once Leo snuck me a book in which one of the main characters had his memories altered though, so maybe you've read something like that," Corrin suggested, looking back to her butler and female friend who walked over, bags of groceries in hand.

"It would take too long for him to prepare anything, so I asked him to simply give us ingredients. That way I'll be able to prefer the dishes to your exact tastes, Milady. Now we should get going to that inn, shouldn't we?" Jakob said, answering the unasked question of as to why he came back from a street food cart with ingredients but no meal.

"Of course! To the inn we go!" Corrin affirmed, smiling as she skipped over to the large sign that marked their destination.

The town was crowded, the streets filled with people to the point that Corrin had to twist and turn every few moments to avoid hitting anyone. They were clearly in the farmer's market section, as every inch of sidewalk was taken up by stands overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables. Some Robin recognized, some he didn't. But, being in a new land, that wasn't unexpected. He had never seen a squash in Ylisse after all, and Plegia prided their squash harvests even more than their royal family some times. Seriously. There was one time he was passing through a village during the war and went up to a squash field, not knowing what they were, only to be hit over the head by a woman babbling on about how 'these squash here are the only things that matter to me, boy! How dare you touch them! Who do you think you are? Why, I wouldn't even let the king put his greedy little hands on them! Hell, I'd even trade the king to Valm or Ylisse if that meant I could double the crop!'

...It was an odd experience to say the least. But back to current events.

"Is she always like this?" Robin asked Jakob, wondering who he had gotten himself involved with.

"Not always. She can be a bit naïve and innocent, but it's probably just the freedom. This is only the second time she's been in a town, after all. Before this, Lady Corrin had been raised in a secluded fortress from which she was not allowed leave. She's likely just trying to take advantage of the chance to interact with other people and run around without threats on her person or life," Jakob responded, annoyed that some random newcomer was asking such personal questions about his Mistress.

"Only the second time?"

"I ask that you refrain from asking any more questions about Lady Corrin for the time being. For all I know you could be a pawn of King Garon sent out to assassinate Corrin for her actions. You wouldn't seem out of place as a dark mage, though I don't recognize your clothing. And I suppose you are a bit too… well dressed."

"..." Robin decided to remain quiet after that, realizing that conversing with the snappy butler was getting him nowhere fast. They soon reached the inn, and Corrin got them a three room suite, one room with a queen bed, one with two couches, and one with a kitchen. Jakob hastily prepared them dinner while Robin, Corrin, and Azura sat around the small table that was in front of one of the couches.

It was a sort of odd table. The sides had blankets running down them. Wouldn't they just get dirty very quickly? If someone happened to be a messy eater, then they'd spill sauce all over the fabric, and that would be a pain to clean up.

"So would one of you girls like to give me a rundown of the situation?" Robin asked politely, uncomfortable with being so out of the loop.

"Of course," Azura said, taking the time to organize her own thoughts in the mess they were currently dealing with. "I am Azura, a Nohrian princess kidnapped by Hoshido in retaliation for the Nohrian kidnapping of the Hoshidan princess Corrin. A little over a decade ago, Nohr invaded Hoshido, killing the King and stealing Corrin, after centuries of tension between the two countries. Until just recently, Queen Mikoto of Hoshido had kept a barrier over the land in order to prevent invasions by Faceless, which are sort of like undead monsters summoned by Nohrian necromancers. Without Faceless to attack with, Nohr hasn't risked any major attacks on Hoshido so far.

"However, recently Corrin was allowed out of the castle for the first time. On a mission, she was captured by the Hoshidans and returned to the castle where she greeted her mother for the first time since childhood. Unfortunately, it had been a trap by Garon, and the sword held by Corrin exploded, killing Mikoto who had moved to protect Corrin, and dissolving the barrier. With nothing blocking the Faceless, Nohr moved to attack Hoshido, trying to reclaim Corrin in the process. Eventually it came down to the crown princes of each family pleading Corrin to side with them. Corrin however, could not choose between her birth family and the family that raised her, and decided not to choose a side. That leads us to our current situation, where we are likely marked traitors by both major nations of our world," Azura summed up, occasionally glancing at Corrin who looked upset and guilty for her role in the death of the Hoshidan Queen.

Corrin looked to the side, sadness evident. Letting Azura explain what had happened to her rather than saying it herself was just as good of an indicator for her guilt. It almost made Robin feel guilty. Is that how people felt when someone gave their lives for another? And Corrin had only known Mikoto for a short time. How badly must he have hurt the Shepherds…?

"Ah, thanks. I do have to ask though, what's up with the sword and the pendant? And since you left out the lovely butler currently residing in the kitchen, I'm going to assume Jakob is just a very loyal servant from Corrin's days in Nohr that showed up sometime after she was kidnapped and decided he would follow her no matter what. I'm guessing that since you were in the same predicament as Corrin, simply reversed, that's why you sided with her, but other than that that was a pretty nice explanation," Robin concluded, a smile appearing in his face.

"Excuse me?" Azura said, not surprised at the strange man's mention of Yato as it certainly looked unique, but impressed and a bit suspicious at his recognition of the odd nature of her necklace.

"Well Corrin's sword is certainly much more ornate than your average blade, and has a weird air about it. It's different, but your pendant has something strange about it too, so I couldn't help but be curious."

The girl clearly wasn't satisfied with his response, but Corrin decided to speak, saving him from more questions.

"My sword is the Yato, a divine blade that resided in Hoshido until recently," Corrin said, contributing to the conversation at last. It seemed she had gotten over at least some of her guilt for her role in her mother's death and was finally up to saying a few words. "It can only be wielded by one person, or at least one person who's alive at one time, and is one of 5 total divine weapons. Two of the others are still in Hoshido, while 2 stay with Nohr. As for Azura's pendant… I've never noticed. Although it was doing this weird glowy, floaty thing when you calmed me down back in the square," she finished, a thoughtful look on her face.

"When she calmed you down…?" Robin questioned, needing more clarification. With the way they both left off the most important, or at least interesting, information, your figure they were raised by the same people. Which he guessed they were, but they were at such different parts of their developmental period that it just didn't -

"-da goes like this." Robin heard, and realised that Corrin was talking, "After Queen Mikoto… After Mother was killed, I kind of freaked out and turned into a dragon. I went about destroying things until Azura started singing. All the water around started to float, as did her pendant, and suddenly everything just seemed to slow and calm down. Transforming, which seemed impossible before, became possible and I turned back before I could do any more damage. Then Azura gave me a Dragonstone and things worked themselves out," Corrin summarized, smiling.

"..." Corrin was a _manakete_? Now that he looked, he definitely saw pointed ears poking out behind the mess of silver waves on her head, but he wasn't expecting that. Could manaketes even look her age after only having lived what must have been under two decades given Azura's age? Wait no, of course they could. He had met Nah after all. But still. Did that mean there were 4 more manaketes waiting to kill them in the Hoshidan castle? Did that mean that the Nohrians were manaketes too? Were there _eight_ manaketes looking for their heads? And since when did manaketes use weapons? Wait no, Azura seemed normal enough past her pendant. Maybe the Dragon thing was exclusive to Hoshido? Of course, it could also just mean that-

"Dinner is ready, Miladies. And _you_ ," Jakob called, coming out with several steaming plates of delicious looking food, some of which Robin recognized, some of which he didn't.

"Thank you, Jakob."

"Thank you!"

"Thanks for the meal."

"You're welcome, Lady Corrin, Lady Azura."

"Jakob…"

"And you too, Robin."

"Good."

With the last thanks out of the way, the group of four dug into their food. Or rather, Corrin looked as though she wanted to dig in but went for a more polite way of eating, while the others were just naturally neat eaters. As much as Robin hated to admit, Jakob's cooking didn't disappoint, and he was surprised that Jakob appeared to be a personal butler as he would have easily qualified for a castle cook back in Ylisse. Then again, maybe it was just the foreign food impressing him, but likely Jakob was just that good. Or maybe Nohr just had fantastic cooks in the first place, so Jakob wasn't all that amazing in comparison. Robin secretly hoped it was the latter, because that meant as soon as they got to Nohr he would be going on a trip to visit all the restaurants he could hit up during his time there.

When they were finished with their meals, Jakob took the group's dishes back to the kitchen to wash, leaving the princesses and Robin to discuss sleeping arrangements.

"Hmm. Well there are only 3 beds, if you count the couches, so that means two of us will have to share. It would probably be best that we share with someone of the same gender, so do you and Jakob want the large bed, or should we take it?" Corrin began.

"Well I worry Jakob might 'accidentally' skewer me in my sleep if I slept anywhere within 5 feet of him, so I think I'll be fine on the couch. Plus, you and Azura are princesses, and I'm used to sleeping on the ground, if my lack of discomfort when waking up on that field is any indication. Jakob, due to his position, has likely also spent a great deal of time sleeping in uncomfortable positions too, so we're both used to it and will be fine on the couches. Maybe we'll snatch the bed next time, but for now you've had a long day and deserve the best rest possible. I'll go move one of the couches next to the door to your room so that Jakob doesn't stay awake glaring, or even possibly throwing if what I saw at his waist is any indication, daggers at my back all night."

"What about daggers?" Jakob asked, returning having finished washing the dishes. He had even taken off the silly apron that he had gotten from who knows where.

"Nothing important. Anyway, Azura and Corrin will share a bed for the night. You and I are on the couches. Don't worry, I'll move one to the door in front of the girls' room so you don't have to worry about me sneaking in or whatever. Is that fine?" Robin commented, waving Jakob off. In response, Jakob just blinked, opening his mouth as if he had something to say before he frowned and shut it again.

"That's… fine. Thank you," the butler slowly said, suspicious not of Robin as a person, but instead his actions. Which was a considerable improvement, but still disheartening. Was Robin really that weird?

"Goodnight to you then. Do you require anything before bed, Lady Corrin?"

"No, and drop the Lady, Jakob. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Of course."

The group then dispersed to their respective places of rest, Robin and Jakob moving one of the couches to the entrance of the girls' room. They then all hopped under the covers, and shut the light out to go to sleep.

Corrin and Azura must have fallen asleep quickly, because their breaths evened out after just a few minutes. Jakob on the other hand took about half an hour or so. Most of which he spent staring at Robin, part of which he spent making sure Corrin looked like she was sleeping, and the rest of which he actually tried to sleep.

Robin, however, was awake the entire time, which he wished he wasn't because for one, it was creepy knowing someone was watching you while you presumably slept, and two, he didn't _want_ to be awake. He couldn't fall asleep though, and wasn't even tired to boot. After what must have been three or so hours of just lying there, the tactician decided that he would get up and try to assess what he had on him. His eyes had adjusted well enough to the darkness, so Robin could see well enough to take stock of his items.

Disappointingly, his stock revealed that he had nothing. The clothes on his back were definitely his and were in fine shape, but he had no elixirs, concoctions, or even vulnerary, which he knew he had at least one of before his encounter with Grima. He also lacked his sword and tome, and even the small daggers he kept hidden in his waist and the inside of his coat were gone. The smaller weapons' absence wasn't surprising, as when he had woken in the field with Chrom he hadn't had them, but he had had a bronze sword and a thunder tome at that time, neither of which were currently in his possession. What _was_ surprising, or rather alarming, was the mark of Grima that still shone on his hand, glowing just slightly in the complete darkness, despite the fact that the whole reason Robin was in this strange predicament was because he killed his counterpart.

But besides that, Jakob had reason enough not to trust him, and Robin figured a glowing sigil on the back of his hand wouldn't help, so he got up and headed for the door. Then it occurred to him that Jakob might be a light enough sleeper to wake at the sound of the door, and that disappearing in the night was really suspicious, so Robin wrote a short note explaining that he was going out to get some tea from the shop that Corrin had pointed out on the way there to help him sleep. It wasn't all that great of an excuse, but it was what Robin had. Even Jakob had commented on it, so hopefully it would work, but he wouldn't know until he returned.

A short time later Robin found himself in front of a clothing store that was still open despite the fact that it had to be well past midnight, possibly a few hours away from sunrise if Hoshido was like Ylisse in having roughly 12 to 12 hour days. Inside was a pretty girl of about 25 who seemed as though she was struggling to stay awake.

"Excuse me miss," Robin called, startling the woman into an upright position, "but you wouldn't happen to sell gloves, would you?" He hoped he hadn't been too rude, but as he knew he looked suspicious in his long foreign coat, covered in strange symbols and markings, he supposed it might be less creepy than just stalking through her store until he did or didn't find what he was looking for.

"Oh, umm… hello, sir. Yes, we do. What color would you like?" she asked warily, likely thinking he was some creep. Or maybe that he was from Nohr, if the way Jakob spoke of their clothing was any indication. Just walking around town it was obvious that they didn't fit in with the local style, and Corrin hadn't regarded his outfit with the wonder she had directed at the clothing of the townspeople.

"Black would be preferable, but what do you recommend?" he responded, knowing that Lissa had commented on his clothing more than once, ganging up with Maribelle to lecture him on what ungodly offense he was committing whenever he put together an outfit just for everyday wear. Tharja would butt in every once in a while, sliding up to him and trying to say that Robin looked good in whatever he was (or wasn't) wearing. Then the three would argue, and Robin would slip away so he wouldn't have to get yet another lecture from the blonde nobles.

"We have black, but we also have a nice purple fabric that goes with the get up you have on. If you want, I can make a pair with a base of black and some purple design to it," the woman answered, shrugging. She seemed a little less uncomfortable, but was still a little wary of the odd man before her. He noticed that he had a slight accent as well, one that likely didn't quite fit any of the accents found in this continent, which for whatever reason didn't appear to have a name. Though it probably didn't matter in Hoshido because he was foreign based on appearance alone, and the townspeople would just assume he had a random Nohrian accent as he was pretty sure that very few people of any at all had even _been_ to Nohr, much less traveled around enough to know he was speaking in a unique accent.

"Ah, but that would require sizing. I don't want to take up your time," Robin dismissed, wishing to just grab some random gloves and leave before anyone woke up to notice he was missing.

"No, no, I insist! I'll only have to measure one hand, and do a few alterations to some premade gloves. Please!"

"Uh, sure, then. Here you go." Robin handed the woman his left hand, and she got out a few strips of ribbon. Wrapping it around his fingers, palm, and wrist, she made a few markings before taking the strip to a worktable behind the counter. There, she pulled out some fabric, not premade gloves as she had claimed, and got to work. A few times she went back over to Robin and made some more measurements or wrapped something part way around his hand, but it wasn't as complicated as he had imagined. She must have been quite skilled, as it took much less time than Robin thought it would. Then again, he was not informed on glove making in the slightest, so she could have been taking a really long time when compared to normal. She used a fabric that looked like leather, but couldn't have been due to the texture, and in no time had a pair of gloves ready.

"Oh, thank y-"

"No no, I'm not done! I have to make two more!"

"Two? I'm not sure I have the money to pay for two-" Robin started, pausing when he realized he probably didn't even have money to pay for one pair of gloves. He had some coins on him, but who knew if the currency was the same between Ylisse and Hoshido? It was a miracle that they spoke the same language…. He would have to get caught up, and soon. At least in Ylisse he remembered general concepts of things, though he couldn't recall names, people, or places. Here, he had no idea how anything worked. He recognized what a shop looked like, the animals around, and some of the plants, but there was so much more he didn't. He would have to look around for a library. Or preferably a bookstore, but that was only after he affirmed that he had valid money and enough to pay for the gloves, nonetheless a bunch of books. He'd also have to buy a bag, weapons, basic survival tools, a few concoctions, vulneraries, and bandages…

"Here you go! Three beautiful pairs of gloves!" The woman exclaimed, almost singing. In her hands she held, as she had just said, three pairs of good looking gloves.

"I thought you said you had two more to make?" Robin had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hasn't even noticed her respond to his question, nonetheless finish a _third_ pair of gloves.

"Yeah. Two more pairs, I already told you that when you were spacing out. See, I couldn't decide which design to make, so I made all three! Plain black gloves are an essential part of someone's wardrobe, so I made them. Then I thought that though they're essential, they're also a bit boring, So I lengthened them to about elbow length and made purple ones too, to add a bit more color to your outfit. Or at least to make a greater percentage of your outfit have color. Then I thought, 'Well purple with a black palm is better but it's still pretty boring,' so I made this third pair. Then I added the design on your coat to the palms of the purple gloves anyway, but who cares. They're beautiful, aren't they?" the woman described, handing the gloves to Robin.

They truly were impressive to look at, and the fabric they were made of was impressive to. They seemed like they'd be comfortable yet durable, which only made Robin more worried as that would hike up the price. Not only would it be had as they were custom made so no one would want them, but one pair had the eyes of Grima (not in the form of the sigil on his hand, but rather just a single eye as seen on his coat) on them and he _really_ didn't want to be distributing that to the public. It was fine for his style, but he didn't want more evidence of his existence and oddity floating around if he could help it.

"Here, let me get out my wallet," Robin began, reaching into his pocket to grab some coins that weren't in a wallet, but just loose. Though he didn't have his daggers, he did have coins, which in this situation were more important but probably weren't in the grand scheme of things. He dropped a few on the counter before reaching into his pocket for a few more, and dropped those too. When he put his hand back in his pocket again, the saleswoman told him "Thanks!" grabbed the coins, and put his gloves in a bag. It had only taken about 150, which surprised him because the gloves were of such high quality he was worried they'd be 150 each. Or, they were worth 150 Ylissean pieces, since he wasn't sure what the conversion was. They were unmarked golden pieces, so it wasn't as if they had a portrait of Marth or someone in them that wouldn't exist in this place and thus be invalid, but he was still worried.

Thanking the woman, he slipped on the black gloves and walked around some more. When he finally noticed a building with books visible through the window, he went up to it only to find its doors locked. Looking up at the moon, or rather glancing slightly up and mostly to the side, Robin realized that the sun would be up soon and as Jakob had left the curtains open, he would definitely be caught if he didn't go back right away. Robin was really good at getting caught up in things and losing track of time, especially when it came to books, so he figured he was better safe than sorry. Plus, the building was locked anyway, so he couldn't have entered without breaking in, which he wasn't about to do.

Soon Robin found himself back in his room, completely unnoticed. He had placed the note in such a way that it would be blown away by the movement of Jakob's cover with a little piece of string over the underline that would have fallen into the dark carpet and stayed unnoticed and undisturbed had Jakob woken up and put everything back in an attempt to trick the tactician. But nothing was any different, so he knew he was safe. The innkeeper was fast asleep at the counter both when Robin left and when he came back, so he was probably safe in the case that Jakob tried to ask someone at the desk if Robin had done something either. All in all, it was a successful trip.

* * *

Sometime between half an hour and an hour later, Robin got up, stretching and stumbling around as if he was a bit groggy but had woken up on his own. He fixed himself some of the coffee that came with the room, and while waiting for the water to boil, Jakob woke up, looking straight at his only male companion. At first he looked startled, likely unused to staying with someone who was an even earlier bird than he was. Or maybe he thought Robin was making Corrin coffee and was trying to show the butler up? The thought hadn't even occurred to him until that moment. Maybe he should have boiled more water.

"Good morning, Robin. What are you doing up so early?" Jakob questioned, eyes partially squinted. Any progress that Robin had made was gone, and it almost seemed like he had gone backwards on his Jakob-trust-o-meter.

"I woke up just a few minutes ago, when the sun started reflecting off the mirror and into my eyes. Or maybe it was just when I was ready to wake up. Who knows how long I was unconscious in that field before you guys came? It wasn't ideal, but my body probably counted it as sleep and so I wouldn't need all that much last night," Robin said, shrugging.

"Of course. What are you making?"

"Just some coffee. I wasn't sure when you or the girls would be waking up, so I've only put enough for myself to boil as I didn't want it to get cold while you three slept. I can boil some more once I finish mine if you want."

"No, no. I'll take care of that, thank you very much. But would it be alright if I intercepted that water and made tea for Lady Corrin with it? She's had a very trying experience the last few days."

"I suppose you could, but wouldn't you rather she gets some beauty sleep and rests than she wakes now for a drink she could get later and is tired for the rest of the day? If we _are_ going anywhere, then we need to be in tip-top shape, and getting a good night's rest after a stressful event is an essential part of any traveler's life."

Jakob frowned, and went about making his bed and sitting with an annoyed expression until around 8, when Azura came out of the girls' room. She said good morning to the two men in front of her, and sat at the table, simply watching the clouds pass by outside the window with a thoughtful expression on her face. Jakob finally made some tea, and then went to wake Corrin. She joined them a little later, it having taken Jakob a considerable amount of time to wake the excitable girl.

They didn't speak much, and just a few minutes after Corrin rose, the four left.

"So, where are we off to now?" Robin asked, eager to learn first person about the new land he was in.

"Oh, we were just going to wander about a little bit," Corrin answered, in awe of all the things she saw around her. It was a bustling town, that was for sure. The tactician hoped that it would be mostly unaffected by the upcoming war, but knew that that was extremely unlikely given the effect the wars he had experienced had had on Ylisse and the rest of the world.

"I think I'll go to the bookstore then," Robin added, acting as though the thought had suddenly occurred to him. When his blue haired companion tilted her head at him, he shrugged and continued. "Well, I don't really remember anything about Hoshido or Nohr or anything else, so I thought I'd go to the bookstore and buy a few books on the history of the countries, the geography of the surrounding area, and things like that. Why, is that weird?"

"Not… necessarily. You certainly don't appear to be from Hoshido so it might be difficult getting good service though. So you have money on you? I want to tell you how many books you should be able to buy and how much they are." Jakob was being nice for a change, which caused Robin to raise an eyebrow at Corrin. The girl just looked away and started to whistle, which made Robin chuckle as he pulled the coins he still had out of his pocket.

"... This is…." Jakob started, Azura staring at the moment without saying a word. Was his currency not actually currency? Was that woman just so tired she didn't notice, was she thinking of how much she could get for the coins if she traded them in, or was she just being nice?

"You could buy the entirety of Juso Alum's 'Five Nights Under the Cherry Tree' series twice over for that much!" Azura finally shouted, breaking the silence that had come over them once Robin had taken out his coins.

Robin had never heard of Juso Alem, nor of any of his books, so he had no idea how long the series was or how much money that meant he had.

"And that means…?"

"I'll just tell you when to stop grabbing, if we somehow reach that point"

"Fantastic!" Robin practically sang, overjoyed. How much money did he have? Not that that mattered. To the bookstore he would go!

Jakob and Robin headed over, and Azura and Corrin went their own way. A little while later they regrouped, Robin equipped with a giant bag full of texts of all kinds.

They then left the town, heading to their next destination. Which was a place called "The Bottomless Canyon". Cheery.

Once they got there Azura told the group that they needed to jump in, and Jakob was having none of it. He seemed convinced that Azura was just trying to get Corrin to commit suicide for having killed the woman who raised Azura and for abandoning her homeland, which Corrin then vehemently denied.

"Jakob, why commit suicide after all this? I trust Azura, why can't you!?" the furious girl shouted, causing Jakob to look like someone had just murdered his only family member.

"I… I'm sorry, Lady Corrin. It's just, jumping into a canyon without a true explanation seems a bit…" Jakob began, before he was cut off.

"Dangerous. Suspicious. Frightening. Deadly. Basically, we'd like a little better explanation if possible. It's not that we don't trust Azura as a person, it's just that jumping off a bridge into something that has 'bottomless' in its name goes against all of our instinctual values that tell us to live and _not_ jump into unknown depths with nothing to cushion ourselves. Right, Jakob?" Robin explained, turning to his only male companion.

"Exactly," the other man affirmed, nodding. Azura only sighed, commented on how she understood why they doubted her, and jumped in anyway. Corrin of course followed, as she had expressed no such doubts, and Jakob immediately kept after her. Robin waited a moment before sighing and simply falling off the edge, wondering what would happen.

He was already supposed to die, so it wouldn't be too terrible if he met his end there. Frankly he was grateful for even having the meal, though it may have just been a step towards his eventual death. Which suddenly became a lot more frightening when Robin realized the canyon was full of gigantic, jagged rocks that jutted out from the canyon walls and oh Naga did he not want to smack himself on one of those. He had to dodge quite a few before he finally reached the bottom of the canyon. If it could be called that, at least. Instead of the typical rocky floor, it was instead some sort of portal, leading to a land of green, green grass and bright, blue skies. There were also floating islands around, which really sealed the whole "this is a totally new world" vibe that the tactician got when not only when he woke up in Hoshido, but intensified when he got to this new land.

"Welcome to Valla," Azura greeted, looking around with sadness and longing in her eyes. "Should we wake them, or should we just wait until they wake themselves?" she asked Robin, looking at their two unconscious companions. It seems that during their fall, Jakob had managed to maneuver himself under Corrin so that in case they did slam into the ground, his body could cushion their fall. It was quite sweet, almost romantic, until you thought about how disgusting it would be to feel the smashed body of your best friend under you. To feel the bottom person's bones snap and jut into the body above them, possibly piercing them more than impact with the canyon's rocks would have... However, the two were uninjured, so that wouldn't be a problem.

'...Wait. Why am I thinking about that. That's really morbid. Ugh, what's wrong with me? Have these last few days really messed me up that much?' Robin thought to himself, disgusted with his own thoughts

"You don't mind if I wait until the others wake to explain our situation, do you?" Azura asked, calm as ever.

"Not at all. I'll just read for a bit, since I have all of my things!" Robin chimed, pulling out a book. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to focus on his text, though. Not only did he hold an intense curiosity as to what was going on, but he got a really weird vibe from their current location. Or rather, someplace to the west if the sun was any indication of direction. But it only really began once they entered Valla, so his words were close enough. Robin opened his book nonetheless, and began reading. It was on the geography of the continent to which Hoshido and Nohr belonged to, which the book deemed Canta.

The continent of Canta was split into two halves, divided by the mountains of the Infinite Chasm where the Bottomless Canyon was. It had eight, or rather seven, main kingdoms: Hoshido, Kohga, Izumo, and Mokushu were on the Eastern side of the canyon; Nohr and Nestra on the western side; a place called Notre Sagesse was located on an island chain to the south of the Chasm; and Valla was not mentioned. Given the land he was currently in didn't even appear to be on the same plane of existence as the other lands, that wasn't surprising. Other than that there were a few main tribes. The Flame, Wind, and Kitsune tribe were all on Hoshido's side, and the Ice and Wolfskin were on Nohr's. The book then went into much better detail on the exact geography of each land as well as the climate. It was extremely specific, which Robin truly appreciated. He'd have to go over it later, unfortunately, as Corrin and her butler began to stir.

"Ugh…"

"Welcome to Valla. Are you two feeling okay? I'm sorry for not explaining before we got here, but I was unable to do so without facing severe repercussions,"

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked, getting up and taking in the strange sights around her, Jakob doing much the same.

"What I mean is-" Azura was interrupted by some rustling, followed by sounds of clashes not too far off. "Follow me!" she shouted, running off into a cave as the other three did just that.

"Huff. Huff…" the golden eyed princess panted, apparently unused to such strenuous activity. It surprised Robin, as though the cave was a good distance away from where they had landed and the group had practically sprinted, he had assumed the girl would be in better shape. Not to say she looked out of shape, but he just assumed she'd have a little more energy after watching her bouncy companion. Corrin looked a little out of breath too, however, so it really shouldn't have been surprising at all. Lissa, princess of Ylisse, wasn't the most impressive runner either, despite her travels with the Shepherds. All of it just added up to him making dumb judgements.

"So what exactly is going on here? Who were those figures? And where are we? I've never heard of this 'Valla' before," Jakob finally said, voice strong as though he hadn't just sprinted for a minute straight.

"It makes sense you haven't. Valla is the name of where we are now, which you've likely gathered from my earlier words. It's a land separate from Hoshido and Nohr," 'Can't you just say Canta? Do the people not know the name of their own continent or something?' "and there is a curse upon it that causes anyone who speaks of Valla beyond its borders to fade away and die. That's why you haven't heard of it - not only have very few people managed to leave Valla, but those who have wouldn't dare speak of it for fear of death. And even if they didn't fear death and did mention it, spreading the story would be near impossible as the storyteller wouldn't live to finish their explanation, so no one would believe would attempt try to pass their knowledge on."

"What about writing it down? Would writing it down trigger the curse? Because if it really only activated when someone spoke of Valla, writing isn't speaking and would be a pretty good loophole, wouldn't it?" Robin doubted that was the case, but he thought it would be funny to see Azura's reaction. Which it was, as the girl just gaped for several seconds, horrified. If he had to guess, someone close to her had died trying to explain the existence of Valla to someone, which may have been for naught if what he said was true. "How does it work any way? What brings down this curse? Is there some entity or god or whatever here that doesn't want anyone to know about their land other than those who inhabit it, or is Valla actually a word with some runic meaning that activates a spell of death? And if it is the case, then how do they know Valla has been mentioned if it is done in a different plane of reality? Even the runic spell thing is weird, because that would be like if a thunder tome suddenly didn't work here if the rune curse would activate in Canta but not Valla. Also-"

"Um, Robin, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but this really isn't the time for that. I hear footsteps!" Which Corrin definitely did, as soon three figures entered the group's vision. They seemed to flicker in and out of visibility, always at least partially visible by glowing purple outlines, but only infrequently in the form of fully opaque humans.

"W-what in Naga's name are those!?" Robin yelled, taken aback. Watching the men flicker in and out of view was making his headache come back, and this really wasn't the time for that. And he had seen plenty of Risen before, but these were on a whole new level of "not right." Risen at least sort of made sense, as animating dead bodies was freaky but possible. It was like shocking someone - do it in the right place and you can make their limbs move beyond the person's control. With that logic, a really powerful spell could maneuver even the zombie like Risen to their will. But these things, which seemed to cease existing momentarily? That shouldn't have been possible! Unless it was some sort of invisibility spell but it was a terrible one. Well, it could have been one gone wrong but-

"Those are Vallite soldiers. Animated by Anankos to eliminate all those in his way. I thought we'd be able to escape them by coming in here, but I guess I was wrong. Can you fight, Robin?" Azura explained, eyes locked in the figures without so much as glancing at Robin.

"If I get a weapon, then yes. I use tomes and swords."

"Take this, then!" Corrin shouted, tossing a blade in relatively good condition to the shorter of her two male companions.

"Thanks!"

The group then attacked their companions, Jakob throwing daggers at one from a range and Corrin following up to deal the final blow. Robin wasn't sure how Jakob would take him being three or four times stronger than he, so the tactician decided to hold back and only slash hard enough to seriously injure. He felt as though he looked fast enough, so he dealt a second blow which then took down the fading figure. He stumbled a bit though, pretending he was surprised at having been able to get in two hits before the enemy could. Jakob nodded and Azura then ran over to Corrin, singing a short tune. Robin was about to question it when the latter girl suddenly perked up, running to Robin's side and slashing the man in front of him. Robin thought that was a good excuse to have get in a blow, so he too stepped forward and cut the last foe. Though this world may or may not have had dancers to the effect of Olivia, it at least had a substitute.

"Wow! That was amazing Azura, what kind of magic was that? Is that what your pendant is for?"

"Hm? O-oh, yes. My pendant helps me tap into the power of the song I sing… Thank you for your assistance Robin. Now where should we go next?" Azura stuttered, failing to stem Robin's curiosity though he followed along with the changing topic.

"Well there are two routes. How about we toss a rock into each one and see what happens? If it's a dead end, we'll hear the rock immediately smack a wall. If it takes enough time to make a sound, then we know the path is worth investigating. Here goes nothing…" Robin then picked up a small stone from the floor and hurled it toward one dark pathway. Not a moment later Jakob made a little noise in pain.

"What was that?!" he cried, hand on his backside. Robin, however, was intrigued. The timing was too close, and he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary that could have hit the grumpy butler. Picking up another rock, this one with a distinctive purple shape in the middle, he threw it back at the dark opening.

"There it is again!"

"Wait a minute, is the floor glowing?"

Sure enough, right behind Jakob, was the quickly fading light of a magic sigil, and just underneath the butler was the rock Robin had thrown l moments earlier.

"Interesting…"

"What's so interesting? Me getting hit by invisible objects?" Jakob sneered, quite annoyed.

"No, no. What's interesting is the fact that this pathway seems to link back to the center of the room. See that rock there?" Robin moved to pick it up, and tossed it a few times in his hand.

"I threw that over there, and suddenly it appeared here. And unfortunately hit you in the back, but revealed an impressive spell. Let's continue this, and it will probably lead us the right way.

Picking up a new rock (Robin really liked the one that had hit Jakob. Not only did it look cool, but it was a reminder of his mini revenge on Jakob for not trusting the foreign man), Robin flung it at the other hole. A clang and a growl later, the room lit up, three more soldiers visible inside. Robin rushed forward, ready to fight.

The process of throw, check, and repeat continued on for quite a while, the group even discovering a few chests along the way. Making sure to explore all paths, despite the extra time it took to backtrack on a few occasions, the group progressed through the cave faster than Robin had anticipated. They even got a few good chests out of it, which was pretty nice. At one point they reached a completely lit path, which signaled the exit. Taking the lead once again, Robin quickly headed for the lightest part of the room that seemed closest to a natural light source. Suddenly, a new man on a horse came galloping in, fully visible and while he didn't seem to be a Vallite soldier, still foreign to Robin.

"Gunter!" Corrin suddenly cried, running to the man who looked to be in his late 60s. The man, Gunter apparently, was wearing full body armor and appeared to be in great health and fitness for someone his age. It honestly creeped Robin out a little, he had to admit.

"Heh, it's you old man. I thought you would've died by now, either by the fall or just of old age," Jakob chuckled, a mixture of fondness and annoyance evident in his voice despite the insult found in his words.

"No. Hans' blow only injured me, not killed. After I fell into the canyon, I woke up in this strange place, and have been fighting against strange invisible enemies ever since. Who are these two?" Gesturing to Robin and Azura, Gunter led his horse closer to the three who hadn't moved since the man's sudden appearance.

"This is Azura, she's a Nohrian princess kidnapped by Hoshido." Azura bowed slightly, raising her head after a short second. "And this is Robin. We found him unconscious in a field. He's an amnesiac, but from the short time we've known him has shown himself to be a great tactician." Robin too gave a tilt of his head, waving his hand slightly at Gunter who was rightfully confused at Corrin's explanation. She had basically described finding a random guy and spontaneously making him the head of her small 4 person army. Which though true and not really missing any important information, was really weird. It was pretty much the same thing that happened with Chrom though, and Gunter was just pulling a Frederick. Heh, the old man was even a Great Knight just like the brown haired nanny of the Ylissean Prince too. Whad'ya know.

"Ah Azura, I remember you. I didn't see you often, but you're the daughter of Arete, aren't you. I'm sorry that your short time in Nohr was so unpleasant. I didn't have much say though, so refraining from interacting with you was the best I could do."

"I see. Don't worry, Gunter. And don't worry, I don't blame you for inaction. If I did then I'd have to blame the whole of Nohr, which would be unreasonable and quite difficult if I must say."

Gunter laughed, and apologized again, this time sounding less like he blamed himself for the event, but still showing guilt at the whole occurrence. He then launched into a surprising detail of his actions, explaining how the king didn't really like him due to the knight's refusal to become Garon's right hand man so many years ago. Apparently the old man had a wife and kid back home, though he didn't seem to concerned with their well-being despite the fact that the king sent someone to kill him. If Robin had been hunted down, his wife and child's safety would be his top priority.

"Robin, you look very focused, but we need to get going."

"Huh?" Blinking, Robin noticed that his companions were all staring at him. "Ah, I'm sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment there."

At that Azura smiled, suppressing a giggle at his words (which weren't meant to be a joke so he had no idea what was so funny) as she walked forward. A few minutes later the group had defeated the last of the Vallite soldiers in their way, and exited the cave a few weapons and potions heavier. It wasn't too bad. They had gotten a considerable amount of loot, learned of a new enemy and new dimension of sorts, and had improved both their battle skills and their teamwork. All in all, it hadn't been a bad day.

* * *

 **Author's note: I just want to tell you not to expect this sort of updating schedule. Since I got so many views and reviews I figured I would post the next chapter as thanks, but there probably won't be another chapter for another week or three. And I know I said that pairings are up to suggestion... But there's one (or technically four, but basically one) that's concrete. I changed it in the last AN so you'd know. Robin will ( _EDIT: probably)_ not be marrying anyone in the world of Fates. He will probably have remained unmarried in Awakening too. So sorry all you Corrin/Robin lovers and requesters. One big reason for this is due to my absolute incompetence when it comes to romance, another due to the fact that this is not at all based on romance but just _can_ include it if you guys want, and the third is semi(?) plot important. Corrin can marry whoever the heck you want though. I'm thinking about including Kana and the children characters even if only in a mention, so I'm more likely to pair her with a male character, but if popular demand pairs her with a female, say Oboro, then I can do that too. As for the other three ships I mentioned above. Selena's father is Frederick, Odin's father is Lon'qu, and Laslow's Chrom. There's reason for that. Because I have never married Cordelia to Frederick, nor Lon'qu to Lissa in my playthroughs of Awakening, but it will work out here. Last pairing that I have down but isn't concrete, is who Azura will marry. You probably know if you read my last AN. Again, if you want her to marry someone else then go ahead. Only Robin's Significant Other, also known as Nobody, has been _(possibly)_ decided. I'll see you next chapter!**

 **Though as a parting note, I always giggle when I see a FE character mention they were lost in thought, so I just had to mention that. Originally published August 6, 2016. 9,600 words.**

 **Eruran out.**


	3. Corrin's Badly Named Castle & Fort Jinya

**Author's note: Sorry about the wait guys, life's been a bit busy and I've only had about an hour of free time a day since I posted the last chapter. My goal is to write about a thousand words per day, but that hasn't been happening because I've been totally wiped and too tired to write a sentence you can understand** _ **(it was a bit unrealistic anyway).**_ **But anyway, it's been 2 weeks since I've published this, and I've already passed 50 followers, 30 favorites, and 20 reviews! I thank you all so much, and really appreciate it. I'll try to reply to those soon, so look out for that. Now, without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

"..." Robin blinked, unsure of what to say in response to the sight before him.

"..." Azura was much the same, biting her lip.

"..." Gunter looked downright confused, looking to the others in hopes of some sort of explanation.

"What in the world _is_ that thing!?" Jakob finally cried, in confusion as much as outrage. In front of him was an odd floating animal that sort of looked like a blue and red koi, sitting on top of a strange ball. With giant yellow eyes, it was a bit creepy, but the strangest thing by far was the fact that it spoke. Because it did. And sounded like an 18 year old girl. For whatever reason. Because that made complete sense.

"It's Lilith!" Corrin cheered, arms wide and pointing at the animal now dubbed 'Lilith'.

"You're trying to tell me that _that_ thing is your old stable girl? Lady Corrin, are you feeling alright? I can get you some tea and herbs if you need," Jakob questioned, doubting his Lady's words.

Robin stared at the butler after the man's comment, even more confused than he was before. A stable girl? How could a fish be a stable girl?

Corrin didn't seem put off, though. Instead, she smiled. "Yes, I am! Here, Lilith, let's show him!"

Suddenly, the group was surrounded by a white light. Robin put an arm in front of his eyes, and when he lowered it, discovered they had been transported to another realm. It was different from both Valla and Canta, having much more energy floating freely in the air. It felt sort of like the way it felt when Robin was gathering energy for a spell, but instead of just being centered on his head and hand, the pressure was everywhere. No one else seemed to notice though, so Robin figured it was just the mage in him reacting to the new land. Lilith seemed more at ease here, opposite of Robin. She had been the one to transport them though, so Robin figured she either lived in the place, or at least spent a considerable amount of time in it, and would therefore feel better in the strange realm.

"Welcome to the astral plane!" Lilith greeted, before taking them on a tour of the place. She explained how these things called 'Dragon Veins' that Corrin could use were present throughout the realm, and that time flowed differently there than the outside. The weird koi-lookalike also explained that she was technically a dragon, much to Robin's disbelief, and that the plane was accessible from any location, though upon exiting it could only drop one off at their point of entrance.

After seeing Grima and Naga, (and Tiki, Nowi, and Nah he supposed,) Lilith's claim didn't really seem true. Now, _those_ guys were dragons. Huge, imposing, powerful, and winged. Lilith, who was tiny, gentle, looked like she would die if he so much as kicked her, and lacking wings didn't really fit the description of dragons as he knew them. But maybe that was just a world difference. In his world, dragons were Grima- and Naga-like. In this world they resembled Lilith. Simple as that.

Too bad for the people of Canta, though. The dragons of his world were pretty cool. These guys were missing out.

"Well if you knew about us and this place, why didn't you come for us yesterday after the battle?" Jakob asked, mildly irritated as always. "If it's such a safe place, then you should have immediately retrieved Miss Corrin to save her from any further attempts made on her life. We may have gotten lucky in that none occurred, but what if they had? Really. Knowing that, why didn't you at least stop by and take her, even if you couldn't bring the rest of us here?"

"O-oh. I just… something happened that I wasn't anticipating. So I decided to wait a bit to see what happened. But after what occurred today my worries have been erased, so I came as soon as I could!"

Though the dragon didn't say exactly what caused her to stay away, Robin had an idea what it was. This world didn't seem to be the same one as that which he had come from, so chances were he had an odd aura or feeling about him in the eyes of this semi divine being. If animals were the slightest bit sensitive to strange people, then talking mini dragons were undoubtedly even more so. He still had no idea how he ended up in Canta in the first place.

Speaking of which, he had to come up with a name for his home world and this one, as he never learned the names of them and doubted there was a term to reference the combined realms of Canta, Valla, the astral plane, and whatever else existed here. He'd call his home world Arit, after Marth's homeland of Altea. Robin associated himself with Ylisse, though he was technically Plegian, and Ylisse was Chrom's home. Chrom was a descendant of Marth, so his home world could be Altea, or rather Arit. Some older texts he had read called Altea Aritia, but he'd go with Arit instead.

This world would be Archaea, after Akaneia, which he had noticed was sometimes called Archanea in some of the older texts he had looked over. Akaneia had been the whole region, and as this world encompassed many planes/realms, the wide term of Akaneia seemed fitting. But Archaea sounded better, and since he was going by the modified term of Arit instead of Altea, it would do.

So there he had it: the collective world of Valla, the astral plane, and Canta would be called Archaea; and his home world, with Ylisse, Plegia, and so on would be called Arit. At least in his mind. That would make them easier to keep track of.

Coming back from that tangent, he still had no idea how he was transported from Arit to Archaea. Maybe it was some similar method to that which brought him from Canta to Valla, or Canta to the Astral Plane, but either way he had no way of manipulating it himself. If he asked Lilith there was a chance she would help him, but he wasn't really in a situation to be asking that. Plus, she would probably find him insane or something. That or given her earlier suspicions shown when she downright abandoned the group after they met him, she would tell the others and they'd leave him behind. Right now allying himself with Corrin and her company seemed like his best bet for figuring out what was happening, so he'd let things go as they would and look more into it later. For the moment, he decided to settle in one of the rooms that had come along with the mini complex that had suddenly appeared according to Corrin's will, and sleep until it was time to go. He still wasn't exactly sure what Dragon Veins were, but whatever they were they made an entire building appear from thin air, so they were impressive.

* * *

"... Darn."

After two or so hours of lying in bed, Robin decided that yet again he was chasing sleep only to be duped. After everything that had gone on, he felt tired, but not _tired_. It was more like he felt exhausted, but not sleepy. The tactician wasn't lacking enough energy to say he was exhausted though, so it was a loose term. Physical, but not mental exhaustion, maybe?

Eventually he decided to light the candle next to his bed, open up a window, and crack open one of the books he had bought. As long as he was awake, he was going to make some sort of good use of his time.

A book or two later light from outside his room began to shine in it, causing Robin to look out to watch the sunrise. To his surprise, there was no sun in sight. There hadn't been a moon visible the night before, either. It was just as if they had been in a room and someone had dimmed the lights, and later added some fuel to the burners. His candle had already long burned out, and Robin had spent a while reading by the bright moonlight, so the sunlight was a nice change. If he kept that up, he would probably need to get glasses soon. Reading in the dark really wasn't good for the eyes. It was a miracle Tharja could see as well as she could, because who knew how many hours she spent in the dark conjuring up new curses and hexes. It was far more than healthy, that was certain.

Turning back to his book, Robin finished the chapter he'd been working on and decided that he had been sitting long enough. The man then walked over to the door and headed to the new mess hall that had appeared alongside his new residence. Technically it wasn't alongside, rather on the opposite side, but the two had suddenly manifested at around the same time in roughly the same area, which was close enough. What Corrin had referred to as her castle was quite large, though not a true castle in that it only seemed to be a large open space surrounded by stone walls. What lay beyond the walls was a mystery to Robin, but he didn't feel like questioning it for the moment. He had enough on his mind as it was. Strange realms with endless space were too much for his tired mind to comprehend.

When Robin got to the mess hall, he was pleasantly surprised to see Jakob behind the counter, already chopping up vegetables for that morning's breakfast.

"Can I help you?" the two said at the same time, causing the butler to raise one eyebrow and his companion to chuckle. Though they both said the same words, they had meant different things. Robin had said it in a friendly manner as an offer to assist Jakob and thus get closer, but Jakob had said it in a condescending tone, as to tell Robin that he had no business there and should leave. Robin wasn't going to let one of his few precious moments alone with Jakob slip through his grasp though, and acted as though he thought Jakob said what he did as an invitation. Moving to cook some of the rice that was in a bowl nearby, Robin started up some small talk, hoping to improve their relationship. Jakob replied to Robin's chatter, though he wasn't too happy about it, and the two spoke for a good half an hour, each doing little but meaningful things around the kitchen.

Soon after, Gunter walked in, though Jakob shushed him off before the older man could even get a word in, and so the old knight left to do whatever he felt like doing at such an early hour in a confined space. Half an hour after that, Azura showed herself, and the two light haired men served her a small breakfast. Jakob then excused himself to wake Corrin, asking Robin to put some water to boil for tea as he did so. Robin had to hold back a little fist pump at this, though he did let it go as soon as Jakob left the room. It seemed that he was quickly gaining way on the Jakob trust-o-meter, even faster than he had originally anticipated. Giggling followed his action, and Robin felt his face heat up as he realized Azura was still sitting at the counter, slowly finishing her meal. She must have seen him. Azura put one finger in front of her lips, signaling her silence, and Robin replied by pointing two fingers to his eyes and then to hers, which she responded to by giggling even more. After all, though she had told him she would keep her silence, he had to make sure she knew he was watching her for any slip ups. Because he was.

Corrin and her butler walked in shortly thereafter, accompanied by Gunter who seemed right at home with the two. Breakfast was served, a few words exchanged, and the five then split to prepare for the day's journey. Corrin had decided their best bet was to head to Hoshido to try and convince some of her blood siblings to join them, as even by her short time there she could tell they were much more accepting than her family back in Nohr. Azura seconded her motion and warned them yet again about the curse, and the group headed towards their destination. They would be visiting Fort Jinya, which was really far into Hoshidan territory, but where Corrin wanted to start.

Robin was worried for a little while about being attacked on their way there by mercenaries or the royal army, as they had exited the astral plane back at the bottomless canyon and the fort was quite far away, but his worried turned out to be groundless. Either word traveled really slowly in Hoshido or the people didn't care, because the group managed to hitch a ride with a traveling company almost all the way to their destination. Rather than using horses as he had seen back in Arit, the travelers used these strange beasts that he hadn't caught the name of to power their vehicles, which moved them forward at lightning speed. Robin was a bit disappointed he didn't have more time, because he would have loved to learn more about the beasts. It seemed that was for another day though, and he joined the group in their march towards the fort.

Once there they were greeted by an angry man named Yukimura, who scoffed at their attempts at reconciliation. In only a few words, ththe situation grew dark and full of anger.

"Hello Lady Traitor, Lady Azura. It seems you've gained even more Nohrian curs since your abandonment of your true family. And to return with them by your side, do you truly believe we'll simply welcome you with open arms?" he spat through gritted teeth, seething.

"Yukimura, please! I can explain-" Corrin began, before being interrupted by Yukimura who was even angrier than before.

"Don't try and reason with me, traitor! You've betrayed the family that accepted you, even after you were stolen and trained by the enemy into thinking you were one of them. And you, Lady Azura, you've tarnished the name of the family that raised you as one of their own, even knowing who you truly were. You two do not deserve to have ever received their kindness. Leave now, or I swear you will regret it!" he shouted, swiping his hand in front of him.

"You don't understand! I never meant to betray anyone! I just-"

"Stop this. I have no time for your poisonous words. You and your actions are _not_ just or justified, in any way, shape, or form. You've abandoned your true family, and allied yourselves with those that murdered your mother. I bet... No, I know it. You were the one that orchestrated the disappearance of Lord Takumi, weren't you? And no doubt you are also the cause of Lord Ryoma's current missing status."

"They're missing?! Oh gods, no. Not them. I would never do that to my family-"

"What right do you have to call them your family after what you've done to them!? That's it, I will no longer deal with your lies and gross presence. You must atone for your crimes. Guards, ready yourselves! And to you, prepare to feel the might of Hoshido!"

Yukimura left, hopping on some piece of machinery that carried him inside the fort.

Corrin sighed. "Damn it. Guys, get ready, it looks like there's no way around this!" She then turned back to the group, running towards them. "Now let's see… Gunter you should… no actually maybe Jakob. Err, then again he and Gunter can go the farthest so instead, Azura, you-"

"Gunter, take the rear. Azura, you head slightly in front of him, but be in line with Jakob. Jakob, you stand over there, within arms reach of the wall. Here the wall is strong enough and seems sturdy enough that I doubt any magic or arrows will be able to pass through if there's anyone hidden behind them, so you should be fine. I'll take the lead, and Corrin, you stay directly behind me until we pass the first wall. From what I've seen, Hoshidans tend to have a lot of Ninja, which employ ranged attacks. Thankfully their use of shuriken means that they won't do too much damage, but it's best to be careful.

"Right now Jakob is our only healer, and we should save our vulneraries until we absolutely need them. Speaking of which, make sure you have one on you Azura, as you have the lightest armor and will take more damage from any hits than the rest of us. I don't want you falling due to an attack that would have only injured you if you had been at full health. Though, as of now, I only see a club user and two swordsmen. There are some enemies to our right and left as well, so watch out for that. They aren't moving at the moment, so chances are they've been ordered to hold unless we try to escape. So, let's defeat those in front of us, then move left. After we take the left, we can go right, and then come back to this path. Does that sound all right with you?" Robin ordered, taking in his surroundings.

"That sounds better than anything I could've thought up in that amount of time. Let's go!" Corrin replied, slightly amazed at Robin's quick thinking.

As per Robin's orders, Jakob headed for club user, throwing a few daggers his way. As the enemy stumbled back, Corrin jumped in, swinging Yato across her opponent's body, causing them to fall to the ground, bleeding heavily. Corrin seemed totally convinced that she could get her family to join her, but Robin wasn't, and he knew that slaughtering her family's troops wasn't the best way to do so. As such, he asked the group to aim to injure rather than kill, and for them to remove the weapons of those they defeated as to prevent further attack. Once they were down, Robin and crew could then knock the enemies out with a quick blow, which would further lessen any chance of an attack by a defeated opponent. So, Corrin kicked the club as far away as possible as Azura ran up to Jakob, singing him a quick song.

Thankfully, her placement put the blue haired princess right next to Robin as he cast a simple lightning spell (bought from a small shop that had also suddenly appeared in Corrin's Castle) at the swordsman to the club user's left, and the songstress followed up his spell with a slice from her naginata, causing the samurai to turn her way. With his back to Robin, the tactician had the opportunity to get even closer as he brought down another round of lightning (as thunder was the sound, not the rain of energy as whoever named the Aritian spell must have thought. At least it seemed Archaeans were slightly better in their naming habits) and delivered a stiff palm to the side of the samurai's neck. Dropping his weapon, the man slid to the ground, unmoving, and Robin strapped the blade to his side. The katana was a bit different from the broadswords or other blades Robin typically used, but it would make do. He had left the blade he had used the day before in the astral plane in anticipation of such an event, so it was reassuring to have a physical weapon back within reach.

Looking back to Jakob, Robin saw that after hearing Azura's song he had pulled out another few daggers and thrown them toward the second samurai. Though the man had more clothing and thus technically more armor, the third enemy seemed less resilient than the first, and took considerably more damage. He was fast enough that Jakob was unable to get in a second hit before the swordsman rushed the butler, but Gunter jumped in front of his companion before the blow could land. Instead of cutting fabric, the sword clinked off the knight's armor, causing no damage. Gunter raised his arm high, swinging down his weapon and slamming his opponent to the floor, slicing him up, knocking him out, and likely giving him a concussion all in one movement.

"Good! Now, out and to the left! If anyone can call reinforcements, it's them, as everyone else is confined inside the fort and can only call upon the other people inside who are preparing to attack us anyway. Eliminate them, and we'll go right. After that we move back here, and then we can take the second room. I see a few chests, so some of these guys hopefully have the keys!"

All of the keys were in fact with enemies outside the fort, and a considerably long time later, Robin was in front of a different type of enemy, at the very inside of the fort. He had gotten so used to fighting with Chrom and the Shepherds that this battle felt almost excruciatingly lengthy, but the tactician knew that that was to be expected from his current group. It was an army of only five people, three of which looked to have never experienced real combat before the day they had found him, one of which was old enough to be his grandfather, and the last being himself.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Orochi, a retainer of the _late_ Queen Mikoto, who must be addressed as such thanks to _you_! I can't forgive you for your actions, and I promise that I will get revenge for Lady Mikoto! Now, meet my scroll!" the new woman introduced, raising a large fan. She tossed it in the air, confusing Robin until he saw it start to split and rotate, runes surrounding it as some sort of animal flew out of the space and toward them. He could tell beforehand that she was some sort of magic user, but to see her spell in action was another thing. Whatever her fan was, it seemed to be a modified tome, capable of using some sort of either minor summoning magic, or of gathering energy in the form of a beast to fling at opponents.

Azura was the one closest to the upset retainer, and took the blow with a small cry. Corrin looked horrified, seeing her friend hurt, and began to move toward her friend's attacker before Robin stopped her.

"Wait! Let Jakob get in the first blow! He can heal her later!" he shouted, anticipating an objection along the lines of 'but she's hurt and needs attention; there are still enemies about!' He had placed everyone the way he had for a reason. Azura was a songstress, and her voice had a magic quality to it. Magic users typically had higher resistance to magic spells, so Azura wouldn't and didn't take considerable damage when compared to the others. Jakob could use staves, so Robin sent him in for the first attack, as he likely had the second most resistance. This was of course not counting Robin, but the tactician knew the others needed the experience more than him, so kept his distance unless absolutely necessary.

After Jakob threw his daggers, getting in a double attack, Robin nodded to Corrin who went for the final blow. With that, Orochi fell to the ground, hitting her head against the wall on her way down.

"K-uah!" Looking to Corrin, Robin saw a small shuriken embedded in her side, slowed by the armor but still piercing skin if it was at all symmetrical. She pulled it out immediately and Robin noticed some viscous purple liquid dripping from the edge that had stabbed his companion.

"Damn. Poison!" he muttered, watching as Jakob rushed to Corrin's side with his staff in hand.

'I knew that these people had some pretty impressive troops, but I didn't expect this level of silence. He must be someone truly high up to be able to sneak up on us like that. Another retainer, perhaps?'

"Gunter!" Corrin cried, wincing as her movement shifted her injury. Jakob took in a sharp breath and pulled Corrin close so he could better heal her.

Guntee moved in, slicing down at the ninja, but was too slow and the red haired enemy slipped away before the blow could land. He readied another shuriken, about to throw it at Jakob knowing that without the butler they'd be unable to heal past the possible vulnerary, but Robin was faster. With a flick of his tome hand, lightning struck the unnamed enemy, causing him to let out a grunt. Azura took her chance and hit him with her naginata, slicing through the fabric on his right hand and making him drop the weapons he had been about to release on Robin once he noticed who had attacked him.

Without a weapon in hand, the ninja was at a clear disadvantage, and Corrin moved in, now healed by Jakob. Her slice was caught by the extra blade on the ninja's sleeve, but the Yato was strong enough, and swung with enough force, that though the red-head's wrist remained attached, a large pop was heard. Their opponent jumped back, gripping the shoulder of an arm that was likely dislocated. He grabbed a shuriken with his left hand and prepared to throw it at them, before Yukimura called out to the man. "Saizo, stop! Let me."

With this, the ninja stepped back, breathing heavily, as Yukimura let an arrow fly from his bow, striking Corrin. "Lady Mikoto, please forgive me, but I must protect Hoshido, even if it means bringing down your only daughter…"

Corrin grunted, and Gunter moved to strike Yukimura, his blow landing. Too close for the Mechanist to get in a counterattack, Yukimura backed up, only to be met with another hit by Corrin, healed by Jakob and reinvigorated by Azura's song. Which didn't have any lyrics, and was just a few noted held out but was close enough.

"Can this… really be true?" Yukimura fell off the strange creature he had been riding, defeated by Corrin's blow.

Saizo stood by Yukimura's right shoulder, helping him stand as Orochi regained consciousness and unsteadily rose to her feet. The three stood quiet for a minute, as Corrin stood in front of them, a hand on her hip. Jakob glared at the trio, Gunter with an impressive face behind them. Azura looked pained, likely due to having to attack the people who had raised her, and Robin simply stood to Corrin's side, waiting for the Hoshidans to speak.

"Why… why don't you kill us? We are your enemies, and you have won. If you leave us, don't you know we can regroup and come back to attack you?" Yukimura asked, still panting. Orochi looked confused, as she likely was knocked out believing her fellow retainers would finish her job while she was incapacitated.

"Because this fighting is just senseless violence, and I want to bring it to an end. But to do that, I'm going to need you three the do me a favor." Corrin said, calmly.

"Do you a favor? Helping you at all would be going against Hoshido, and that's something that I would not do even if it _was_ on threat of death," the glasses wearing man replied, grimacing. "Your current path puts you against all of Hoshido, so I don't see how your actions could benefit it. And how can I trust the word of someone who is going against all I know and love?"

"Yeah! Like Yuki says, how can we trust you?! The only thing you could possibly do for us is bringing back all the lives you've taken to get here!" Orochi suddenly interrupted, biting her lip.

"I'm afraid that is impossible," Robin began, quickly continuing when he saw Orochi open her mouth again, "as we have taken no lives up to this point, and thus cannot return any to you. If you backtrack through the fort you will find all of your troops without weapons and or unconscious. As Corrin said, our goal is to avoid all the meaningless violence we can, and going on a killing spree is no way to do that. So, we left everyone alive, and as uninjured as we could in order to get here." Robin shrugged, and put his hand back in his coat pockets.

"That's…"

"Absolutely true." This time it was Saizo who spoke up, clearly unhappy with the situation.

"Excuse me, Saizo? I'm surprised, you're usually the last person to trust anyone, so why do you believe these traitors?" Orochi frowned.

"Because they aren't lying. I've checked, and was watching as they defeated our allies. I didn't see them deal a fatal blow to a single person, and they seemed to be under strict orders by Corrin and the other white haired one not to."

'Other white haired one…?'

"Oh, sorry about that, I guess we haven't introduced ourselves. As you know, these two ladies are Corrin and Azura. The long haired one here is Jakob, Corrin's butler, and the older one is Gunter, another one of her servants. My name is Robin. I've only been with them for a little while, so those are the best descriptions I've got. You'll have to ask them yourselves if you want better ones."

Orochi's jaw dropped, Yukimura looked confused and slightly surprised, and Saizo lowered his eyebrows.

"So then, will you join us?" Corrin asked, waiting a few seconds.

"Looks like there's no other way…" Saizo trailed off, before opening the eye that was crossed by a scar, "You say you've taken no lives, but Lady Mikoto lies dead because of your actions! I will sacrifice myself for the good of Hoshido!"

With this flames erupted around the Ninja, swirling around him and licking Yukimura who was standing too close.

"He's initiating a suicide attack!" Robin shouted, backing up.

"We must get out of here!" Gunter began to grab Azura as if to hoist her onto his horse, and Jakob placed his hand on Corrin's arm, ready to steer her in the other direction.

"Brother, wait!" a new voice cried out, as another ninja ran toward the group, followed by a pink haired girl holding an odd staff.

"I-I won't let you hurt my sister!" the girl cried, quite literally, as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why are you two getting in my way?" the first ninja asked, surprisingly calm given he was currently on fire. "Don't you know what these five have done? Don't you understand that what I'm doing is for the good of your country?!"

"Saizo, please! Lady Corrin and her friends are not out to destroy Hoshido! Back when I ventured to Nohr, she was the one that objected as King Garon moved to execute me - she saved me, a stranger from an opposing country that had already tried to kill her. I trust her with my life, so please stop this madness!" the green haired ninja pleaded, grabbing the arm of his brother despite the burns that would undoubtedly form due to contact with the flames.

"D-don't hurt my big sister! Everyone I passed on my way here was okay, and only a few of them were injured badly enough for me to have to heal them! So… So if she were out to destroy Hoshido, why would she do that? At least ask her before you hurt her and yourself!" at this the tears that had been building in the girl's eyes finally poured down, heavy and fast as she began to sob.

"..." The flames died down, and Saizo took a step back, shaking off his brother's grip. "Fine, I'll listen to what she has to say. But don't take this the wrong way. I certainly don't trust her or her strange crew, and am ready to act if they do anything to harm any of us."

At this the girl's tears and gasps slowed, as a unsteady smile graced her face. Saizo's brother sighed in relief, grabbing something from his back pocket and splitting it in two. He handed one piece, which was about 90% of the original stick, to his brother, and kept the small piece for himself, undoing some of the wrapping on it. It looked like some sort of cream, and as the ninjas began applying it to their uncovered chests Robin realized it must have been some sort of burn salve.

"Now then." Corrin took this opportunity to explain their situation the best she could given the curse on Valla, and looked across the three in front of her. "The one you all should worry about isn't me or any one of my friends, nor is it anyone from Nohr or some sort of spy lying in wait here in Hoshido. Our true enemy is from another land entirely, and aims to put us all against each other so they can come in and conquer the weakened forces that remain. King Garon wasn't the one who orchestrated Mother's murder, or the explosion in the square, but this outside force was." She then took a step back to gauge the reactions of those around her, Saizo taking the cue.

"... So that's your explanation then. Some mysterious enemy that no one has even heard of, from a land that's neither Hoshido, nor Nohr, nor anywhere else is the cause of all this? You truly expect us to believe that nonsense? If that's the case, then tell us who this force is, or your lies will only become painfully obvious." Saizo scoffed.

"Well… the thing is… I can't. Not exactly. What I can tell you, though, is that sometime soon the dark skies of Nohr and the bright skies of Hoshido will switch places. By then, we'll be out of time, but I'll be waiting at the Bottomless Canyon for you to prove what I've said so far is true. I can't offer any more than that, but I trust that when the time comes, you'll make the right decision." Corrin looked away at this, unsure of how she could better explain the situation without activating Valla's curse.

"As you did when given the choice of remaining with us or choosing your kidnappers. I've heard enough. If you're through with your pointless banter, then be off. I've not the time to waste with you, as I have a country to mend given its missing ruler." Yukimura snapped at the group, annoyed at their explanation, and glared at them waiting for the group to depart. Corrin, getting the message, turned, aiming to follow the mechanist's words, when the pink haired girl ran up to the so called traitor.

"Big sister wait! I may not have known you long, but I believe in you! Please take me with you! I know you can make things right!" Clinging to her sister's arm, the girl shoved her face at Corrin's armored chest, her nose making a slight clang on impact.

"Sakura…" Corrin hugged the girl tighter, long waves of hair falling around the two.

"Lady Corrin. I offer you my services as well. As I told Saizo, I trust you completely. I know you would not try to go against Hoshido without reason, and I know you wouldn't attempt to trick us like that. I apologize for my brother's actions as well, and would like to assist you as compensation." The ninja that accompanied Sakura got down on both knees, bowing to Corrin until Yukimura spoke.

"Lady Sakura. You cannot be serious. Your mother lies dead, your people injured, and your family betrayed. Do you truly believe that this traitor is acting for the greater good?"

Yukimura did bring up a great point. Though Robin only knew of what had been said in that conversation, the evidence seemed stacked against Corrin. Two sides are always present, and thus he could follow Corrin without regrets and believe she was doing the right thing for her situation, but he was unsure why this Sakura would want to follow her sister. Everything Yukimura had said sounded like great grounds for hating someone, even if that someone was their sister. Add in the fact that Sakura hardly knew that sister, and Robin just couldn't see any logic to her reasoning. She was of the sort that acted purely out of heart it seemed. Which was perfectly fine, if a bit naive. Robin appreciated it though - if everyone went by logic, then the world would be too harsh a place to live in. Every once in a while, you had to either follow your heart or find someone who did.

With the way Sakura seemed so determined to make her point, even as she cowered away, it was pretty cute and endearing. It was windy that day, and the breeze was ruffling the girl's hair every which way, making her seem even more silly. It reminded him of a bird that puffed up its feathers when threatened as if to make itself as big as possible, when they were of no threat at all. Still, those birds were successful pretty often, not only scaring off those who tried to hurt them, but attracting friends too. Corrin would have to be careful, as Sakura was probably going to be a… what was the female version of a lady-killer? Or maybe she _would_ be a lady-killer. If she hit both, then she'd grow up to be a person-killer. Except she was too soft to ever kill something, no way she would find herself confident on the battlefield doing anything other than healing, so person-killer was a terrible way to put it. Of course, she could eventually pull a Lissa and end up a great asset for both healing and attacking, but Sakura was even less intimidating and more soft spoken that Lissa, so he doubted she'd reach the blonde girl's level of attack. Sakura would just be a lovely lady when she matured. There.

Yukimura had continued to list some of Corrin's fallouts and reasons for Sakura to stay while Robin had thought, and now the girl was giving her response, fire in her eyes (but not anywhere else, thank you Saizo. Seriously, what was he thinking? If Sakura was a Lady and Corrin's sister, then she was probably a princess too. They may have beeb in a land different than his own that had different customs, but in what kind of place was it acceptable for a retainer to fry his own princess?)

"Of… of course I do, Yukimura. I trust her with everything I have. Because she's my big sister, and I know she'd never really betray me, right?" Sakura mumbled, looking into Corrin's eyes momentarily before thrusting her head back at the older girl's chest. "I may not be the best at fighting… but I can help heal! I-if you need that I mean. Please make good use of me, sister."

Sakura stepped back slightly, twisting from side to side as she kept up her position of not looking directly at Corrin. A groan or two and the occasional scuffle of some soldiers waking up in various places across the fort could be heard, and Robin turned to glance at the wall nearest the path to the fort's exit. All this talk of reunion and doubt was good, though a bit confusing for him as not everyone had been named (specifically the green haired ninja that had pledged his allegiance but had failed to introduce himself) and he had missed some key details in their backstory. He could follow along with their words, at least, though he got a bit creative in imagining the stories behind everything given the short sentences that addressed the last events.

It wasn't as if Robin hadn't had to make up his own explanation for lengthy conversations either. When he first joined the Shepherds, his allies frequently got into conversations about how similar or different the current war's events were to those of the Plegian-Ylissean war of the last exalt's time. As the first thing Robin could remember was waking up in the field, he only had the slightest idea of what had gone in during the old war, and made up his own explanation for what had gone on. Rather, he made up a few explanations, some so outlandish that he surprised himself with how unreasonable they were (though they were entertaining to think up) and some so tame that the actual war seemed more exciting. So, he came up with little fun reasons for the Hoshidan's dislike of Corrin, and the explosion at some square to not only pass the time while the group continued with their repetitive words, but also to try and find a good reason for the split.

"Well I would know that stubborn look anywhere. I've been by your side since Lady Ikona was pregnant with you, and that face is one that's only shown when you've failed to be beaten. Promise me you'll be careful. That you'll stay as safe as you possibly can." Yukimura chuckled, and Sakura followed his lead.

Robin frowned. 'I thought their mother was named Mikoto?'

No one else seemed confused or disturbed Yukimura's comment though, and instead continued on as if nothing strange had been said.  
"I will! And when this all is over, I'll be sure to have a nice tea with you to make up for all the stress." Sakura giggled, likely imagining scenes of Yukimura turning pale over the idea of Sakura getting injured, pacing at night, wondering where she was., and pulling out some of his really nicely colored hair. Seriously. If Robin ever got tired of white and decided to dye, that would be the color he'd choose.

"And I'll do my best to protect her, too, so don't you worry, Yukimura! Sakura's in great hands!" Corrin said triumphantly, releasing one hand from the hug in order to hold a fist in front of her face.

"Goodbye, then. I'll see you all soon," Yukimura said with a smile, waving to the group before heading to check on his soldiers.

"Brother," the green haired ninja stated, eyes locked in Saizo, "I know you may still have your doubts, and I apologize for leaving you like this, but I ask that you try your best to forgive me and Lady Corrin, so that we may get along when we finally unite. Protect Hoshido in my absence. I'll try to make you and Father proud."

"... I'll see you soon Kaze." Saizo spoke in a low and quiet voice, giving a quick wave before disappearing. Orochi simply frowned at them, and the group then headed off.

Passing out of the fort, the group headed toward a forested area. There was an overgrown, though still marked path that the group took, this time with Azura leading the way. Corrin chatted with Kaze, giggling occasionally, and Sakura stayed right behind Azura, several times making motions as if to speak to the woman who had lived with her so long, but backing out before she got any words out. Gunter was acting as the ever stoic servant, looking straight ahead and only occasionally glancing back at Corrin when she made a noise that was particularly loud. Jakob, likely still wary of the two new members of their group, followed silently.

The mechanist gave a sad smile at the sight of the departing princesses as Corrin began skipping away, holding Sakura's hand in her own. Jakob let a glare fall back at Saizo, angry that he had not only hit but poisoned Corrin, and left to follow the two girls. Gunter led his horse ahead in order to take the lead, and Azura exchanged a few short words with the three retainers who would stay behind before jogging to catch up to her fellow princesses. Kaze and Saizo simply stared at each other, both looking as if they had something to say to the other, until Kaze sighed and left to trail the others. Robin, knowing where they were going in the short of things, decided to wait a few moments longer in order talk with the retainers.

"So, what do you think of Corrin?" he asked, lips pursed.

"Well, after what happened with Lady Mikoto, I can't help but hate her a little." Orochi was the first to speak.

Robin blinked in response. "Er, I mean as a person. Or of her goals. I don't really know what happened in the square or much about her past, but I'd like to hear what you think about the current her, ignoring the whole Mikoto thing. From what I hear that was a complete accident, or at least something she didn't know was going to happen, so I'd like to hear what you think of Corrin aside from the whole unintended murder thing. Whether you're glad Corrin took Sakura, if you're upset and grudgingly went along due to Sakura's insistence, or whatever else you come up with. So far I've only really heard about Corrin from her servants who like to glorify her, and Azura who's also pretty devoted, so I want to know what she looks like to an outsider."

The three in front of the tactician looked surprised yet again, each with their own tone. Yukimura looked intrigued, Orochi offended, and Saizo suspicious.

This time, Yukimura was the one to respond. "I think she's a very interesting person," he explained. "She's charismatic, in a way that doesn't mix well with her naïvity. But she also seems to grow at an astounding rate. I can already see a difference in the way she carries herself now compared to when we met a few days ago. She's maturing quickly, and that I can appreciate, but she still holds onto her ideals too tightly. I understand what she wanted to accomplish when she came here, but she was being to idealistic. She thought she could just walk in gain all of Hoshido's support simply by saying she didn't want to hurt us, but that wasn't going to, and will not, happen.

"Though Corrin has good intentions, she doesn't yet understand that good intentions aren't all that are needed to reach an agreement. She's blind to the ways and pride of our people. Just because Hoshidans try to be peaceful and she knows the royal family doesn't mean she can get her peace just by asking for it. From what I've seen, she decides what is good and what is evil quickly and firmly without much background, which often doesn't work out. She immediately decided that she was the only good and that Hoshido and Nohr were both evil when we met in that field, after all. The girl doesn't quite get who is who, like most would realize,"

Robin scoffed. "Like most would realize? But the concepts don't apply universally! After all, who decides good and evil but the one affected by the actions! In that situation, you would say Nohr was the evil, and you were the good, right? I'm sure if you were to ask the Nohrians they would say the reverse.

"If Nohr were to invade Hoshido, the Hoshidans would mark the people of Nohr as 'evil,' since they would lose their own property if Hoshido lost. But to the Nohrians, their own troops would make up the 'good' side, as their conquest would bring in land to the country that could be used for farming and improving the dying economy and extreme poverty seen in Nohr. The Hoshidans, who 'selfishly' refuse to trade with them or give up some land would be the 'evil' ones, as their refusal would only bring hardship to the Nohrians. Most people don't decide to do things because they see those actions as evil. They do them because they believe their actions are righteous, and are for the benefit of either themselves or the many. From what I understand, the Nohrians went to that field to collect Corrin. Not because they were on some mad slaughterfest looking to stab a Hoshidan or two, but because they wanted their sister back. Though the Nohrians did kidnap her the first time, the most recent kidnapping was by you guys. All the Nohrians were doing was retrieving Corrin, even if that meant cutting down some Hoshidan soldiers in the process. They were doing the 'good' deed of rescuing their sister, not the 'evil' one of trying to kill whoever stood in their way," Robin explained. As he went on, he had a hard time not saying Plegia or Ylisse. He'd spent a long time in Plegia during the war, and the longer he spent there the harder it was to see his enemies as the insane agents of destruction some of the Ylissean troops tried to paint them as. The more time he spent in the desert country, the more he came to see Plegians as people trying to bring prosperity back to their homeland. Ylisse hadn't been the only country to suffer during the war Chrom's father had waged.

Robin continued his speech. "But I agree with what you said. Corrin doesn't see this idea of good and evil being dependent on what side you belong to as true. From what I've seen of her, after the battle in the field she decided that Nohr must be the ultimate evil because of their conquests and actions which have taken lives. She said she came here because she felt like she had a good chance convincing her siblings, but based on pure convincing I think she would've had a better chance in Nohr. She's lived with them longer, and they basically invaded the largest, most prosperous country in the world to get her back, so they obviously care about her. But since whatever it was convinced her Nohr is the 'evil' country, she came here first.

"The thing is, even based off the invasion, I'm not sure if you could really call Nohr a completely 'evil' country. Most of their land is infertile, several regions are facing severe drought, and they can't grow enough food to support their population. If Hoshido had decided to lend Nohr some food in exchange for some ore or tools or whatever other goods Nohr could produce, then maybe Nohr's situation wouldn't be so dire. Hoshido wouldn't have even had to give up land, or give up stuff for free. All they would have to do is trade. Open up the ports that have been closed off for however long they've held their grudge, and send out some food like good people.

"I know that the reason your people are without a king is that Nohrian soldiers killed him. That the reason this grudge exists is because of a few Nohrians' actions. But that's just the thing - a few Nohrians were behind it. King Sumeragi's murder isn't anything the people of Nohr sing about. It wasn't a plot the people of Nohr knew of or supported. It was something the nobility, or possibly only Garon, organized. Garon isn't the one who's suffering because of the famine, however. The people are. To help Nohr out you wouldn't necessarily even have to speak to him. You could make it so only peasant or merchant ships, not military or royal ones, could enter your harbors to make trade. That way the people that hurt you couldn't benefit, but the ones who didn't could. And even if Garon did hire merchants to come over in their own ships and get food for him, that would still help the peasants more than it could help him. The more food and supplies he has, the less he has to take from his subjects. Plus, if you still want to hold a grudge, I think that's a pretty good way to do it. By banning trade entirely, it makes you look selfish or uninviting. By allowing trade with peasants and merchants, it lets people know that you aren't really selfish, but you just don't like the nobility for what they did. It sends a stronger message, I think."

Robin looked to the others for a response, quietly adding, to himself: 'Of course, it may provoke attacks because Garon seems to be a man whose sanity is quickly slipping away, but things should be better with the next king, so it should work out.'

"But the Nohrians aren't trading! Garon's never tried to! And it's too late for that now anyway. They killed Queen Mikoto. Killing Sumeragi was bad enough, but they crossed a line when they murdered the queen," Orochi said, voice full of venom.

Yukimura nodded. "I'm afraid Orochi is right. I doubt our farmers and merchants would agree to such a system now, given the events that have occurred these past few days. At this point the only way the Nohrians could help themselves is to invade."

Robin's eyes lit up. "You see, th-"

" _But,"_ Yukimura continued, "that still doesn't mean their invasion is in the right. They aren't going to just take free, uninhabited land. The Nohrians will go for villages full of innocent civilians who've done nothing to harm them. Hundreds if not thousands will be murdered on their quest to help themselves. I can't see the good or righteousness in that."

"Are the Nohrian civilians who have nothing to do with Garon's death or the invasion not innocent?" Robin asked.

Yukimura looked puzzled. "Well- I suppose they are, but…" he trailed off.

"Exactly. They're innocent too. You said that if Nohr invaded, 'hundreds if not thousands' of people will be lose their lives. In other words, a couple hundred people _are_ going to die, and a couple thousand _might_ die. If Nohr can't get supplies by either way of trade with Hoshido, or way of taking Hoshidan land, thousands are _surely_ going to die. And not one or two or three thousand civilians to mirror the number of Hoshidans who would be killed or displaced by whatever route the Nohrians take. I'm talking five, ten, fifteen thousand people or more. And that's a conservative estimate. Really, it's probably more like five to eight thousand Hoshidans compared to fifty thousand or so Nohrians. Whatever the numbers are, the deaths don't come close. If we're going for the greater good of the world, Nohr would be in the right if they invaded."

Robin paused for a moment, before frowning and speaking in a quiet voice. "...But I don't like that route. Whenever I have the option, I go for saving as many lives as possible. Five thousand or even five hundred deaths is way too many if the cause can be avoided. Just trade with Nohr, please. You're a royal advisor or something. Talk to Ryoma, or whoever it is that's going to be calling the shots in Hoshido now that Mikoto's dead. Because Hoshido wouldn't be hurt in anything other than _maybe_ pride if they traded, but Nohr will be hurt in many more ways if you don't! Hoshido has food surpluses from what I hear. Food going to waste, not eaten because there's just so much of it! You wouldn't even have to increase production or decrease rations. Just figure out some way to get it to Nohr, and your invasion problem is solved." Robin sighed and looked to the three silent individuals before him.

"Of course, you don't have to listen to me. I'm just a foreigner, and one who hasn't been here long at that. I don't know everything that's going on here. There could be and probably are forces at play that prevent my ideal exchange from happening. But just… consider it, please. Try to find some way to support the Nohrian civilians who haven't ever wronged you. Because until they're able to live comfortably, you'll never know peace.

"I don't need an answer on whether or not you'll do anything. In fact, I'd rather not have one. All I want is for you to spend a few minutes thinking about what I've said. Maybe mention it to some of your advisor friends. I'll probably bring up something along these lines with Corrin later on, because as you said, Corrin is quite blind to a lot of what's going on right now. But I have confidence that by the end of the war she'll see, if only a little. She may need some glasses, some advice, counseling, and a few comments to bring her down to terms, but she'll get it.

"I've gotten pretty off topic here, but the question is: do you think Corrin has the potential to figure out just what good and evil really are? What's she's gotten herself into by refusing to side with either Hoshido or Nohr? And though I don't need to know what you're going to do in terms of Nohrian and Hoshidan relations, I would like to know what you think of good and evil too. Have I managed to change your mind at all?"

Robin waited, judging their reactions. The diviner and ninja looked absolutely astounded by Robin's rant, while Yukimura looked sad. In all truth, Robin didn't mean to go off like that. He meant to add on his first sentence, about the basis of good and evil, but the rest was… Unexpected. Words just suddenly came flowing out of his mouth, anger building the longer he went on. All he could think about was how flawed the world was. How blind the people were to the suffering of others. And it scared Robin. When had he gotten so… pessimistic? He had always been a realist, and certainly hadn't been too cheerful as the final days of his time in Arit approached, but that was further than he had ever pushed. He couldn't find any fault in his words, though. His biggest problem with them was that he had gotten pretty off topic. He had asked the three retainers about what they thought of Corrin, and then abruptly launched into a lecture about the problems with designating good and evil, Hoshido's faulty reasoning, and the problems with their (and Corrin's) idealism. It just… was really random. Robin really needed to get some sleep before he started singing odes to a mountain spirit in the middle of a strategy meeting or something equally ridiculous as to what he had just done.

"Pity Azama couldn't have been here. He would have thoroughly enjoyed your speech, and probably agreed on at least a few things." Yukimura was talking again, and Robin tried to focus on what was occurring outside of his sleep-deprived mind. "I don't fully agree with what you said though. Maybe it's because I, too, hold onto idealistic views, but maybe it's because of the faults I would argue in your logic. That's for another day, though. I don't want to hold you back from your group.

"What I will say is this. I let Sakura go because I believe Corrin will ultimately lead her on a righteous path. Whether that path is beneficial for Hoshido or not I don't know, but I do know that it will help both Sakura and Corrin grow up a little. Corrin is a sweet girl, and I wish her the best. I'm only disappointed that she didn't spend more time with Lady Mikoto. When the Queen first got to Hoshido, back before she was queen and was just one of the King's good friends, she was foreign and new to Hoshidan life. She wanted to be friends with everyone, but the court and townspeople shunned her due to her status as an outsider. She acted out of heart despite it all, eventually even capturing King Sumeragi's. In time she grew accustomed to the ways of Hoshido, leading to great reverence of her and her character, despite earlier reservations.

"Corrin is definitely her own person, but I think she can channel that part of Mikoto for the better. I just hope that she doesn't crash on the way there. As you've made quite clear, the bias of good and evil is something interesting to think about. Judging based on what I've seen, I don't know if Corrin will come to that realization just yet, if at all. Like Lady Mikoto, she'll likely look for the good in everyone. Which, by your argument, can always be found. She'll just have to look at each individual from a different perspective," the mechanist concluded, exiting to the inside rooms of the fort.

"You… are very interesting," Orochi commented, looking Robin up and down. "As a person, Corrin seems nice. Like someone I want to be friends with. If I can get over what she's done, then I think we'll get along well." She then moved to join her glasses wearing companion.

Saizo was the last one left, and the ninja didn't appear to want to speak. With a sigh, Robin moved to join his friends.

"She's not bad. If she realizes that not everything is happy-go-lucky, then she'll have my support. And Kaze did follow her, so I suppose there's at least something within her of good worth."

When Robin turned, he saw and heard no one. Not even a flap of a scarf or the rustle of a disturbed leaf. Jogging, he went to catch up to his new friends, hoping they hadn't noticed his absence. Or rather that they hadn't worried. Not noticing would be kind of worrisome actually. Oh and now here _he_ was the one worrying.

'Way to go, Robin' the tactician thought, picking up the pace.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Another chapter done! Let it be known that I (** _ **had a lot of trouble with Robin's rant at the end. It was originally much more pessimistic and dark, but I realized it was way too ooc so I revised it. If it still seems a little over the top, there's a reason behind it. Either way,)**_ **I love the content** _ **(good versus evil, and trade talks, which I honestly went into too much detail on)**_ **and that's why it's there. I appreciate all your reviews, and hope this chapter is okay. I'm not the best at fight scenes, and the rant makes me cringe but what's there is there.** **Oh and you know that explanation I had for Lilith not showing up? Well the real reason is that I forgot she existed for a little bit and so didn't put her in before... Yeah. Oops.**

 **Please take the time to review the chapter if you enjoyed it, or even if you didn't, as I always like feedback. I do include some things my reviewers mention if I like them, so there's a possibility something you suggest might show up! I don't have a beta or anyone to consult when I write, so you guys are all the feedback I get - feedback I greatly appreciate! Thank you for reading.**

 _ **Edit: most revisions to the author's note are written like (this). Some parts of the original note have been deleted.**_

 **Originally published August 19, 2016, word count: 9,300.** _ **Edit published June 25, 2017, word count: 10,310 without author's notes.**_

 **Eruran out.**


	4. Xander Side Story

**Author's Note: Apparently today is fanfiction authors' appreciation day, so I wanted to put out a small thing for you guys. It's not long as I only have about an hour to write, but please enjoy.**

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It had been an exhausting past few days, and as Xander wrote the final line to the last report before him, he let out a sigh. First he had had to ride out to Hoshido after getting word of Corrin's capture (or rather, _didn't_ have to and wasn't supposed to, but did it anyway, because even though his Father hardly cared for the girl, he did), next he had to fight a battle to retake her which proved useless, then he had to ride all the way back to Nohr across the bottomless canyon, after that he had to sit through a long and boring meeting about whether the skirmish with the Hoshidans meant they would enter all out war, and finally, he was ordered to write a full length detail of everything that occurred both on and off the battlefield which pertained to the Hoshidans and Corrin. He hadn't gotten a single wink of sleep in all that time, and was about ready to pass out on his desk.

At this point he wasn't sure if anything he wrote in his report would make any sort of sense, or if his sleep deprived state would cause it to be meaningless strings of letters and phrases, but at this point he couldn't do anything else. Even though Laslow hadn't been on the battlefield in which he encountered the Hoshidan royals, but rather an adjacent one where a different fight was playing out, the prince was confident that the retainer could proofread his work and submit it in legible form before his Father's deadline of sunrise the next day (which was very hard to pinpoint when it was always so dark in Nohr, but it did change to lighter and darker versions of dark throughout the day, so it was still possible). It was already several hours past sunset, and Xander knew that there was no chance of him resting and waking up with enough time to be refreshed enough to revise the report before it was due. So, he had asked Laslow to stand at the ready outside his door until the entire detail was written, at which point he could check it over and give it to one of the palace's official record keepers.

He hadn't actually called Laslow to wait until about an hour before, as he knew the man would be completely useless if he also was running on practically no sleep, and wanted to let him get at least a short nap in. Elise had suggested that he should put Peri outside his door to get Laslow but… Peri was Peri and the Prince wasn't sure how well that would work out. As great of a fighter she was, she could be a bit empty headed at times. Knowing her, she'd get distracted by something in her way to find Laslow, put down the papers, chase it, and then forget where it was she placed them. That, or do whatever it was that got her so covered in blood even when there weren't any reports of injury in the castle or nearby areas, and stain the reports in the process.

So, his best bet was to leave Laslow outside, and hope he hasn't wandered off to court whatever poor maiden had the unfortunate chance to pass by.

He heard voices outside his door before he could get up though, and a few second later Laslow called out, "Is it alright if I let someone in, Milord?"

Figuring that the delay wouldn't do anything bad at this point and just glad that Laslow was in fact still at his post, Xander replied in the affirmative and looked forward, his desk already facing the door. It opened, and in came Elise, dressed in a pink frilly nightgown.

"Good… night, I suppose, Elise. How are you?" Xander began, letting out a small smile as his youngest sister shuffled toward him in her plush wyvern slippers. Though he wasn't exactly certain, he assumed that they were a present from Camilla, as the purple haired woman always complimented them when Elise had the slippers on. It could, of course, be simply because as a malig knight and former wyvern rider, Camilla had a great appreciation for the beasts, but that linkage just as well explained the reason for Camilla to give them to Elise in the first place.

"I'm fine… do you think… Big brother, do you think I'm useful? That I'm good to be around?" Elise mumbled, twisting and looking at the ground.

Xander blinked, and stood up, walking over to her and kneeling down. His armor knocked against itself and made small noises as he went over, causing Elise to look up at him.

"Elise, you are perfectly amazing just as you are. There is no reason that you need to change. You are a wonderful light in this dark space that is Nohr, and I do _not_ want you to ever doubt yourself, do you understand?" he told her firmly, kneeling and taking her thin arms in his hands as he did so.

"Mmm. Okay. But that wasn't answering my question." she replied. She didn't usually catch on like that, but then again diverting her attention wasn't really his intention in the first place so he supposed it wasn't of much consequence.

"Well-"

"Aaaand," Elise cut him off, moving one of her hands to push off Xander's right, Xander promptly removing his left as well in confusion, "you're also not helping me feel good about myself right now because good feelings go with hugs and love and warm stuff. I don't know if you noticed big brother, but you're wearing a bunch of armor, even though it's super late at night and you should be changed into your pajamas or at least your regular clothes, and so your hands are reeeeeaaly cold. Like really _really_ cold. Have you been helping Felicia or Flora with their ice spells or what? 'Cause I know metal gets cold, and this room is kinda chilly even though you have a fireplace right over there that you didn't light up, but that's ridiculous. C'mon Xander, if you stay so cold then you're going to get sick! Although maybe you should get sick. Then I can make you stay in bed and give you soup and watch over you 'till you get better! I'll read you a bunch of stories like you used to do whenever I got sick, and then I'll tuck you in and kiss you better whenever it's time for you to take a nap! Heehee!" Elise began to giggle, and Xander's expression softened.

She was so innocent. So pure. She didn't deserve to be stuck in the hell hole that was Nohr. She didn't deserve to have to face death and cruel concubines who tried the best they could to get rid of her so they could win Garon's favor every day. She didn't deserve to have Father as he was now. He was sure that Father, his _true_ father as he was before he became so obsessed with conquering Hoshido, would have babied her like there was no tomorrow. Maybe when the upcoming war was over, Father would go back to the way he was in Xander's most precious childhood memories. No, he surely would. Then they could be a happy family, with nothing more to worry about than the occasional uprising (they did rule over an entire country, and if everything went as Iago planned, soon an entire continent) or small family quarrel.

"Heeeya. Is anybody in there?" Elise drawled, knocking Xander's forehead ever so slightly, just above his circlet.

"Ah, I apologize. Just reminiscing. Elise, as I said, you are an amazing young lady, and I could ask for no more than what you already give. And if you so surely want me to say it as you have it phrased, then yes, I do find you useful. Now tell me, what is it that has you so concerned about such a silly thing?" he chuckled, smile widening.

"Well… And promise me you won't get mad, okay?"

Another puppy dog look from Elise, and another chuckle from Xander.

"I promise."

"Okay so I was kind of bored since I got forced to go to my room as soon as we got back, so I decided to sneak out and see what was going on. Well, while I was walking around I saw Iago being all shady behind one of the pillars with some random guy kneeling in front of him. He was dressed in all black, and looked so scary that I kind of got worried and thought about going back, but stayed anyway 'cause he started talking. Anyway, this guy starts explaining how he trailed Corrin after she left us, and then said a bunch of stuff that was pretty boring so I didn't really pay attention and don't really remember, but eventually he got to some good stuff about one of the Hoshido nobles." Elise recalled, saying everything matter-of-factly.

"Elise!" Xander scolded with a click, taken aback at the fact that she had apparently spied on Iago and _hadn't_ gotten caught. If he so much as passed by when Iago was speaking to someone, not even attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation, he was stopped in his tracks and his Father told about his "insubordination." And Xander was the crown prince, the only legitimate child of the king and queen. Iago really hated Elise for her happy-go-lucky nature, and undoubtedly would've done something terrible to her had he noticed. Did his sister not realize how close of a brush with death or at least injury she had had?!

"You said you wouldn't get mad! And I'm not done yet. So this noble was apparently Corrin's little sister. Sahkra or something like that. Well, you know how Corrin and I are pretty close, but she still kinda backs away whenever I jump up and hug her, and won't let me follow her around? Well guess what! Turns out that not only did she let Sahkra hug her for a _really_ long time, but she also let the princess join her little army! I wanna join up with Corrin! Why doesn't she like me as much? Is it 'cause we're not related? She didn't even know we weren't related until yesterday or whatever! So why can't I be like that? Or at least, that's what I _thought_."

"Elise, hush! I won't get mad at you, but please keep your voice down. What you're speaking of could be interpreted as treason if Iago or one of his dogs hears you, so please, stay at a low volume." Xander whispered, looking at the door momentarily to see if Laslow's shadow had moved past the door and to listen for any signs that the retainer had reacted.

"Oh. Sorry, Xander. But as I was saying before you shushed me, I figured out why! So, since you do think I'm useful, big brother… Please make any use of my body you can!" she yelled, completely ignoring everything Xander had just said.

At this the sound of Laslow falling over and twitching could be heard outside, and Xander choked.

"E-Elise? Where did you hear that sort of thing…?" he stuttered, arms shaking and eyes wide as his expression morphed into one of horror.

"That's what the weird spy guy said Corrin's other little sister told her. He said 'then the princess told the traitor 'please make good use of me' and thrust her body forward, writhing under Corrin's stare…' and started blushing. It was kind of weird, now that I think about it. But since that worked with Corrin, I figured it would work with you too! So, what do you think Big Brother? Will you?" Elise asked with much enthusiasm and hope, unaware of what she had really said.

"Elise…" Xander said, no expression in his voice.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you will never ever say that again."

"What do you mean? Did I say something wrong?"

"Just promise me. Especially not in front of Camilla."

"Okay."

Xander let out another sigh, and got up to hug Elise, knowing that his body armor was just as cold as that on his hands, but ready to deal with whatever whines the material gained from Elise.

"Hey Xander, do you think that we could maybe hang out for a little while? Even if it's only for a few minutes? Because you're so busy we hardly spend any time together any more, and when we do usually it's with Big Sister and Leo. And I love them too, but sometimes I just wanna hang out with you, you know? So…?" Elise's eyes were glistening, practically sparkling as she put on her best face to get Xander to agree.

"Of course."

"Yipee!" Elise exclaimed, jumping up and down and twirling a few times in her excitement. Her bountiful curls, loose from her usual style bounced all around her, and Xander couldn't help but smile. It was nice seeing her so happy. It was nice seeing anyone so happy quite frankly. Or even happy at all. Things in the castle had been taking a turn for the worse lately, and more frowns than ever marked the faces of its residents. But, things like this made it all a little better, so it was fine.

"Now then Elise, you better head on back to bed before someone catches you. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay!" she giggled, and headed for the door. Right before she opened it, however, Xander opened his mouth again and began to speak.

"Elise… were you trying to dye your hair again so you could look like Camilla?" he asked his younger sister.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" she said, turning around to face him.

"There's a spot at the bottom of your hair that looks like a dark shade of purple. It's a little different than the other purple though, and is more of a, well, splotch than a portion of a line, so I was curious. You can ask for help rather than attempting to do it yourself and messing up. I'm sure many people would be happy to help," including Peri, who had an impressive gradient in her hair that the retainer did herself, but there was no way he trusted Peri to be alone in the same room as Elise for long enough to dye hair. Elise might set the girl off, and he wasn't willing to find out the consequences.

"There is? I haven't dyed it for a while though. Actually, it's time for a touch up, so I have to get that done soon. Maybe some of the dye just faded and spread. Well, I gotta get to bed, so I'll see you tomorrow Xander. I love you! Goodnight!"

With that Elise opened the door and headed back to her room, skipping down the hall in no way attempting to be quiet. Laslow entered after her, shutting the door behind him without a sound.

"Have you finished you report, Milord? I can take it down if you have," Laslow said, putting out a hand to receive the documents.

"That I have, here you-"

Xander choked once again, staring down at his desk in absolute horror. Elise's strange hair splotch wasn't runny dye. It was ink. Ink from a bottle that she must have knocked over in her excitement and gotten on her hair. Ink from a bottle that was currently in its side. Ink from a bottle that had spilled all over his desk. Ink from a bottle that had completely ruined the report he had to submit by sunup, along with everything else near it.

"A-aa-aaaaa-aaaaaaaaa-" he stuttered, trembling.

Xander's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and with a loud crash, he fell into the floor, sight fading.

"M-Milord? Milord? Xander? Are you okay? Xander?!"

He could hear Laslow's voice, quiet and hazy, as if in a dream. Slowly, his vision turned to black, and the concerned face of his retainer above him faded to nothing.

* * *

It was well past noon when Xander awoke for the day, dressed only in the garments he wore under his armor and tucked into his bed. His head hurt for whatever reason, and his hand had a terrible cramp that ached as though he had written for six hours straight. The pain in his head echoed, pounding as though he had spent a considerable amount of time banging it against a stone wall. But why…? Then-

"The report!" Xander cried out, shooting up into a sitting position as fast as his body allowed. Stars filled his vision, and he dropped back down, the world turning black and coming in and out of focus. His ears were ringing, and he put a hand over his forehead. It was hot. So hot. Why was he under so many covers if it was hot enough to cook without a stove in his room?

"Lord Xander! You're awake! Here, take some of this. It should help your headache."

Above him was Laslow, holding out a small vial filled with liquid of some color he couldn't quite discern given his spotty vision.

"Thank you…" Xander said, drinking it down. It hardly had any taste to it, but then again Xander's mouth tasted like sand in the first place, drowning out whatever else was added to it.

"How are you feeling? You have a fever, and Elise has been trying to check up on you since she rose this morning. I've kept her out so you can rest, but I don't know how much longer I can keep her at bay, so she may soon be charging in here," Laslow reported, brow furrowed.

"Terrible. But that's of no matter. What about my report? It was ruined…"

"That thing? Don't worry. I took care of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you, don't worry. Now eat some of this before Elise comes in, because you should probably have something in your stomach to wake you up a bit before she assaults you with questions on how you're doing and what you want to drink and what stories she should read and whatnot. I have to go down to the infirmary for a second to smuggle out some more tonics before I'm caught and you're dragged down there, but I'll be back soon. See you then, Lord Xander, and work to get well."

"...Thank you."

"Of course."

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 **Author's Note: Well, I said that I only had an hour, but I had so much fun writing this that I spent just under 2 on it. It's very rushed so I haven't had the chance to look it over and check for discontinuities or spelling errors, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. I'll give it a look over tomorrow, and will correct things then. Until then, here's a little side story in honor of fanfiction authors' appreciation day. It's still 8PM here! I'm in California, USA, so that's how in case your computer shows that I posted it on the 22nd rather than the 21st.**

 **Just over 3,300 words. Published August 21, 2016.**

 **Eruran out.**


	5. An Interruption

**Author's note: Oh dang! 100 followers! Thank you so much guys. It means a lot. I can't remember if I mentioned this in the Xander chapter, so I wanted to say it here just in case. Also it seems to be fefemslash week, or something like that. Nice job to all of you who've been writing, I've seen a ton of great content so far. I don't have any idea of what to write so I'm not doing anything for that but... I did publish a little story on Robin's birth (completely unrelated to and not in the canon of this story), if you want to check that out. I wrote a second chapter, but am not really satisfied with it so it's just sitting in my google docs for now. I haven't finished the next chapter of this as of yet so I'm not sure when that wil be out, but happy September, and enjoy.**

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"So, where do you want to go next, guys?" Corrin asked, now safely back in her castle, which she had dubbed 'Fort Corrin' until she came up with something better.

"I think Izumo would be a good place to start. They've always held a neutral stance in the middle of the continent's wars, so we should find peace there." Azura answered. The group of seven was sitting in the mess hall, an assortment of food that Jakob had prepared laid out before them.

"What do you plan to do while there?" Robin said, unsure of why they would need to relocate if they could safely hide in the astral plane. Trekking over to the neutral land would require passing through possibly hostile territory, and if the group could get the same peace by remaining where they were the tactician saw no reason to do so. Then again, making the trek and fighting the inevitable enemies along the way would provide a good chance for the group to gain experience in preparation for the battles they would later have, but that was beside the point.

"Well… I'm not sure. Izumo is located on the edge of the continent and is bordered by Mokushu, another nation that will likely stay out of the war, so we aren't likely to be attacked while there. Lilith mentioned that this realm is on a very close plane to the land of the invisible soldiers, and there's a chance they might attack us while we rest. In Izumo, no such threat will present itself."

Azura looked uncomfortable while giving her explanation, but Robin could find no fault in it. She was a better planner than she gave herself credit for. Corrin sat at her side, absorbing the information the best she could. After a few conversations with the girl, Robin learned that she knew just about as much as he did about Canta, which made him feel slightly better about his lack of knowledge. Apparently she had been kept in a fortress for as long as she could remember, and was hardly ever permitted to learn about the outside world. She mentioned that most of what she learned had come from a few books that her brother Leo had snuck her. That was a nice piece of information, not only because it explained her cluelessness at some points, but also who this mystery Leo person that the princesses had discussed a few days before was.

"Mmm. Good idea. In addition to your point, here we risk the chance of exiting the realm only to find that troops have decided to take up camp where we entered, putting us in a dangerous position. In Izumo there are neither invisible troops to attack our residence nor pop up opaque troops to surprise attack us if we decide to move. So, does everyone agree with Azura's notion?"

"Of course!" Corrin chimed.

"If big sister says yes, then I do too," Sakura added.

"Whatever Milady decides, I fully support her," Jakob followed, Gunter and Kaze then repeating with similar phrases.

'Their loyalty is good, but also kind of worrying. I swear, if Corrin said she wanted to jump off a bridge they would all follow. Wait, didn't Azura already do that? And they _did_ jump off the bridge. Well at least they originally objected and didn't die…?'

"Then we should set out for Izumo as soon as possible. We had a big battle today, so I say we rest up a bit, but in about 8 hours let's get going. The sun set an hour ago, so this way we'll be setting out when it's still dark. Most armies start their marches at daybreak, so we shouldn't run into anyone else and will be ahead of any Hoshidans approching from Jinya. I'll wake you then, so don't worry about sleeping in too late. Is that fine?" Robin then received six affirmations, and went on to finish his dinner. A short time later, everyone had finished their meals, all the dishes were washed thanks to a Jakob-Robin team effort, and everyone headed to bed.

Robin had gotten a small clock from Corrin earlier that day, and set it on his bedside table. It was rigged to sound an alarm in six hours. The technology of Hoshido impressed the tactician, with the mechanical beast that Yukimura rode, and the other small mechanisms that Robin has seen during his short time in Archaea.

Three hours later, Robin woke up from his attempts at sleep, and found himself unable to return to the realm of unconsciousness. He had already started spouting nonsense about good and evil the day before, and that was with one additional day of rest, so he had no idea what dumb things he'd go on about when the rest of the group got up, but sleep just didn't seem to be his thing lately. Maybe it was something about the astral plane his party found themselves in. It had such a powerful aura just constantly filling the air, and it was hard to ignore. It was almost as if Robin was trying to sleep in a 100 degree room, which was almost if not downright impossible the few times he had tried it. Fighting in a volcano was definitely one of the more unpleasant things he had done, but sleeping on the way there when you got all the heat but none of the fire wasn't much better.

Robin still had a book or two to read from his trip to the bookstore on his second day in Canta, as well as some he had bargained off the traveling company (as they had a few merchants with them) and set off on reading those. The first book was a more in depth description of the land's geography, and once he finished it his second was on the history of the Hoshidan region of the continent. Reading multiple books on the same event could be advantageous, as some inevitably left things out and others had slight differences in depictions, so additional accounts allowed for the most accurate information. It was interesting that the 'Hoshidan region' of the continent referred to the entire eastern half of the continent, as you wouldn't think the other countries would be okay with that. Then again, Valm was the name of the country _and_ the continent, even though several other countries such as Rosanne existed upon it. At least, before Walhart.

'I wonder how reparations are going. Will it be like what happened with Plegia? I hope Arit's done with wars for a while. I don't know if the world economy and national treasuries can take any more without the collapse of a continent or something.'

Three hours after that, Robin's alarm went off. Sighing, Robin shut it down and walked to the mass hall, bookbag at his side. He prepared a small meal and read as he ate it. This morning it wasn't Jakob, but Sakura who wandered in first. Robin wasn't planning on waking her for another half hour at least, so he hadn't expected to be alone with her and didn't know what to say.

"O-oh! I… I didn't expect to see you down here Mister… uhm. Mister…." Sakura trailed off, blushing.

Robin blinked, wondering what was up before he realized he had forgotten a key detail in their first encounter. "Ah! I never introduced myself to you, did I? You arrived only a few seconds after I told Saizo my name, so I guess I just assumed you heard. Anyway, my name's Robin. It's nice to see you, Sakura. I hope you don't mind me foregoing the title? Regardless, if you didn't know my name, why didn't you ask last night? I would have gladly told you." It was a lot to say at once, but Sakura was smart enough to keep track of it all.

"Well… I wasn't really sure what you were like. I was worried you would be mad at m-me. But… Corrin trusts you so you have to be a good person. And don't worry, just Sakura is fine, R-Robin…" voice trembling, it was obvious that the girl was extremely nervous around the tactician, despite her claims that she believed him a good person. "What are you doing up so early? You have an important job as our main strategist, so you need sleep. I mean… I don't mean you _have_ to sleep, I just…"

"No, no, I understand, Sakura. I simply woke early and decided that I would take advantage of the peace. What about you? A growing girl surely needs her rest more than I."

"Well... I know this sounds silly, but…I… I really miss Hoshido, even though we're technically still in it." The girl took a deep breath, and then continued, faster than before. "It took me a long time to fall asleep because I was all alone and in a new place and I don't really know anyone so I was feeling really lonely and scared and afraid that maybe you would all leave me behind or I wouldn't go back to Hoshido to see Yukimura because maybe-" Sakura's words gushed out and she wrung her hands, twisting side to side.

"Trust me, Sakura. It's not silly. Here, sit down and I'll make you something warm to drink. Do you want coffee, or tea? And if you're so worried about being alone, I'm sure Corrin would be happy to sleep with you. She's so worried about her Hoshidan family hating her, I'm sure it would be reassuring for the both of you." The tactician stood and went behind the counter, setting water to boil.

"Tea please. And… I think that sounds like a good idea. I-I'm going to ask her tonight. Hinoka and I used to sleep together all the time. Now we can be even more like real sisters!" the girl had a bright smile on her face, one which spread over to Robin who chuckled.

Jakob and Kaze also entered the mess hall before Robin could wake them, and Gunter was training in the field as Robin passed. The former two were servant and personal ninja so their early awakening wasn't surprising. As for Gunter, the knight was pretty old, and old people didn't sleep that well, so that wasn't an odd sight either.

What did cause Robin to raise his eyebrows was the sight of Azura sitting on one of the castle walls, staring off into the distance while humming a pleasant tune. There was a sort of fog to all sides making anything and everything hard to discern. Azura didn't seem to mind it however, and had a serene look on her face. She did that a lot, looking out at nothing, perhaps reminiscing.

Leaving the blue haired princess to it, Robin went to wake Corrin. Lilith stayed in her temple and away from Robin, so he left her alone. It kind of irked Robin, as he couldn't remember doing anything to hurt the dragon, but it wasn't his problem.

"Corrin? Are you awake?" Robin knocked on the girl's door after climbing up the ladder to her tree house residence (which was really weird, by the way. Why was it a tree house? It was pretty inconvenient, especially when one was tired from fighting all day and then had to climb all the way up in armor just to go to bed) to get to her. Hearing no response, Robin slowly opened the door, finding Corrin sound asleep. Chuckling, he went up to the girl and gently shook her. A few moments passed, and suddenly Corrin shot up.

"Gwaaahhh! I'm awake I'm awake don't ice meeeee!" the girl cried, head swinging from side to side in a panic.

"Okay, I know my hands are kind of cold, but they're not _that_ cold. Why would I pour a bucket of ice on you, or do… whatever it was you were suggesting?" Robin replied, mock offended.

"Oh! Robin. Good morning! I'm sorry about that. I'm used to being woken by my old maids, Felicia and Flora, who loved to use ice magic on me if I stayed in bed too long. They only ever shook me awake if I _really_ wasn't getting up, and then I was so groggy that I would get blasted with snowflakes as soon as I opened my eyes. Typically that only happened when I needed to rush, and what better motivation to hurry than freezing cold icicles at your ear, y'know?"

"Ah." In addition to tomes that didn't break and weird fan scroll things that summoned energy in the form of animal spirits, this land had _ice_ magic? Arit only had dark, fire, wind, and lightning. The tactician had read stories describing a sort of light magic that was dark's opposite, though he'd never seen it himself, but never had he heard of ice magic. How would that fit into the magic triangle? Or would it be magic square, then. Rectangle? Rhombus? _Trapezoid_?

"Er… do you mind leaving the room so I can change? I'll meet you down in the mess hall as soon as I'm ready."

"Of course." Robin took his leave after his response, and walked out the door. Judging the distance he would have to fall if he jumped off Corrin's balcony, the tactician decided it was worth the risk and that his vulnerary would hopefully heal the damages sustained when his feet hit the floor if it was that hard a landing. If not, Sakura was nice enough that she probably wouldn't tell the others about his little incident. But if it came to that Robin wasn't sure her even be able to make it to her. Injured legs made moving a real challenge after all.

Robin hit the ground and rolled to try to lessen the blow, hopping to his feet when he was in position to do so. Surprisingly, not only was his jump really fun, but he wasn't injured either.

'Maybe I should try that again sometime…'

* * *

An hour later the group was out of the Astral Plane and back outside of Fort Jinya, ready to set off for Izumo. They managed to catch a ride with another traveling company, and got halfway to their destination before they were forced to set off on foot again. Which wasn't all that bad. Corrin was an excellent fighter, but evidently she hadn't spent her time in the fort running laps up on the roof as she started panting after an hour or two. They were going at a brisk pace up an incline, but that was kind of sad. At one point Gunter offered Corrin a ride on his mount, but she politely declined. The girl at least realized how out of shape she was, and marched on, determined to improve her stamina. Sakura was having much the same problem, and the rest were fine. Though Azura was sweating… quite a lot. How much water did the girl drink to be that sweaty? She was wearing white, which reflected heat. Corrin at least was wearing dark cloth and silver armor, which was likely cooking her, but Azura on the other hand…

"Watch out!" Kaze suddenly leapt in front of Corrin, shoving her out of the way of a large limb which had almost slammed into the back of her head.

"What in the blazes-?!" Gunter called out, his horse reeling back and kicking the air. In front of the group were six Faceless, their bodies obscured by the mist that had slowly seeped into the air. Something was off about the situation - something that reeked of magic. From what the others had told him, the faceless themselves were magical constructs. The air of power didn't just match that explanation though.

"Everyone, pair up and take down one each! Go for the ones in front of us!" While three of the six were ahead of the group, the other three had managed to sneak behind them. Jakob paired with Corrin, Gunter with Azura, and Kaze with Sakura as they defeated the ones in front. Robin focused on fending off the others, avoiding actually killing them so the others wouldn't get suspicious of his strength. After all, he had already fought in two wars, and not only knew his way around the battlefield, but had quite a bit more strength, speed, and other useful attributes than the others. But his story was that he was some random amnesiac, and he didn't want to have to make up lies to excuse his strength. The Faceless, though still weak, were doing particularly well against his magic, which surprised Robin. Typically Faceless had low resistance from what he had read and the others had told him, but these particular ones were almost shrugging off the pathetic blows aimed at them.

"Wait a minute… What's going on!?" Corrin shouted, gasping as her eyes widened.

"Hmm?" Robin hummed as he turned around, his opponents having been defeated by Gunter and himself moments before.

On the ground were not the corpses of three Faceless, but the motionless bodies of three humans, dressed in attire similar to Orochi's. Sakura screamed, whimpering as Kaze held her back. Tears streamed down her face, and everyone froze.

"What have we done…?" Azura had a similar expression of horror on her face, and knelt down to check for the pulse of the man closest to her.

A quick check behind him revealed to Robin three more not-Faceless, which he had shocked over and over with his lightning tome (which was required, given how weak the tome was despite its relatively quick refresh time). That at least explained why his attacks had done less than anticipated. If the matching outfits were any indication, these people were diviners like Orochi, and as magic users would have higher resistance than the Nohrian crafts they had appeared to be.

"Jakob, Sakura! Please heal them if you can!" Corrin shouted, frantically turning her head back and forth.

The two set out to do her task, Jakob heading toward Robin's side and Sakura towards Corrin's. Robin tossed a vulnerary to Kaze and nodded toward the bodies, indicating the ninja should apply the salve. The green haired man understood and set to it, crouching down at the shoulders of the man in front of him.

Roughly two minutes later, the faint light of a staff and festal faded from the air, and the group all stood, surveying the situation. Five of the men had survived, and one had not. One of the five had been terribly wounded however, and even the combined effort of Sakura and Jakob had not proved enough to completely fix him. The injured man would likely never be able to walk unassisted again, if the state of his leg was any indication. The bone had been shattered, and the flesh of the thigh cut so deeply that it hardly remained connected to the rest of his body. Muscle was hard to repair with a healing rod, and given how much was sliced by the group's attack, it was impossible to completely fix. Thus, the man had a huge scar, a misshapen leg, and enough blood pooled around him to dye a set of white bedsheets red.

Sakura was hiccuping as she choked back sobs, and Azura and Corrin both had looks of extreme guilt on their faces. Gunter showed no expression, Jakob with a similar appearance except with slightly more disappointment. Kaze on the other hand looked worried.

"When they wake, we'll have a lot of explaining to do," the ninja said. "These people are members of the wind tribe, a land which we must cross in order to arrive in Izumo. I doubt their leader will allow us peaceful passage if he hears we injured his people, to the point of ending one's life."

"But we thought they were Faceless! They looked like them and we didn't know what to do!" Corrin justified.

Jakob shook his head in response.

"Milady, it doesn't quite work like that. While they certainly appeared to be Faceless in front of us, in the end they are _not_ mindless creatures, and I doubt they appeared as such to each other. In all likelihood, _we_ were the Faceless in their eyes, so our excuse won't work. When they return to their tribe, they'll inform their leader that Nohrian spies attacked them with Faceless, the Nohrians claiming innocence and damages instead of owning up to their crimes. After all, only half of us appear to be Hoshidan, and that's only if Azura can be counted as such, so that won't be hard to presume.

"Furthermore, it could easily be assumed that we kidnapped Sakura, and that Lady Azura was a traitor the whole time. Kaze's assistance could simply be because he is trying to protect his princess the best he can. Thus, us being a group of Nohrians, traitors, and kidnapees would be an inaccurate, yet perfectly sensible explanation for our presence and our actions. Though Robin is much too… amply dressed…. to be a Nohrian dark mage, these people have probably not been to Nohr themselves and would mistake him as such. Given dark mages are the ones to summon Faceless… everything is stacked against us. I suggest we take a new route, though I know it may take a considerable amount more time to reach Izumo doing such."

"Are you scoundrels planning to invade Izumo too?!" A new voice suddenly entered the air at the end of Jakob's words, and Corrin's army turned to the owner. It appeared that four of the diviners had woken up, and had caught some part of the butler's speech. While the one who had spoken was glaring at them, one was sitting still with a blank expression, one of the others was attempting to wake the man with the messed up leg, and a fourth was desperately shaking his dead companion, though he surely knew of the man's status. "You… villains! First you kill the queen of Hoshido, and now this? Though the wind tribe claims its independence, that does not mean that we condone the violence you have brought onto our region! How dare you!"

The shouting man jumped to his feet with a grimace at the pain from his injuries and reached for his fan. Thankfully, Kaze had the insight to remove the tribalists' weapons while they were unconscious, and so the man was unable to attack them. His last sleeping, but living companion then stirred at the man's rising voice, and looked around in a daze. The one with the severe injuries frowned for a moment before realizing the state of his leg and grabbing it, crying out as the adrenaline and drowsiness worn off and the pain set in, the man who had been shaking him frantically trying to help.

"Listen, you don't understand!" Corrin was already starting to draw her weapon however, lessening the weight of her words.

"Don't understand? What _is_ there to understand! First you cross into our territory without permission, then you attack our people, and now you are suddenly the good guys? What sort of understanding am I not reaching!?"

He limped toward the group, ignoring the pain he must have felt from the blows dealt upon him. He was unarmed, but by the look on his eyes was wholly prepared to punch one of them in the face, or to do something to that effect. He was furious, with one of his fellow tribalists dead, and raised a fist before it was grabbed from the air by the diviner who had previously been sitting with a blank expression. His face still lacked most emotion, but Robin could still see a small plea in his eyes. He was obviously frightened of Corrin's crew, which made the girl and her company both sad at the outcome and angry what the situation had come to.

Whispering into each other's ears, the men held a quick conversation about 'going back to warn Fuga and the others' and nodded to each other, before jogging over to the top of the mountain not too far away, right before the descent on the other side.

It was kind of funny, almost, but mostly sad watching the one who had stood first hop off angrily as his fellow dividers carried the one with the ruined limb. He would skip and then flinch, and just about topple over before straightening up and setting back on his way.

"Should we follow them?" Kaze asked, unsure of what to do. Though Jakob suggested they find a new route, the ninja knew the speed of the Hoshidan army and doubted he and his new friends would be able to reach Izumo fast enough if they had to change routes.

"Do we have much choice? They must be going back to warn the other members of their tribe, which only spells bad news for us," Azura grimly answered, the pained look that had made its way onto her face at her realization of the true identity of their enemies just as deep as before.

"And Fuga," Robin and Corrin voiced simultaneously, blinking and looking to the other at their sudden unison.

"Fuga!?" Kaze yelled, concerned. No one else had any sort of response, so Robin turned to the ninja, ignoring the others.

"Yes. Didn't you hear the tribalists whispering?"

The green haired man shook his head. The wind tribe had settled in the area likely due to their compatibility with the surroundings, which meant that wind whipped around constantly. It was windy even down in the desert they had settled in, and it was just the same up on the mountain, so some words were lost to the air. But the ninja stood by his words, and when he asked the others if they had heard what Robin and Corrin had, they shook their heads too.

"Maybe those strange ears of yours finally proved good for something, lady Corrin," Gunter joked, causing those very ears to turn red while Corrin's face quickly competed with Sakura's hair for most vibrant color in the area. They were around the same shade, too!

"My ears aren't strange! And besides, Robin heard them, not just me! You guys just need to clean your ears out." Corrin's flush grew, and Robin took a step to the side in case the girl sent too much blood to her cheeks and ended up passing out. Olivia had actually done that a few times, and though no one but Robin and Lissa (and maybe Olivia, since they had a history) knew, so had Lon'qu on one occasion.

"Ah, see old man? Even Corrin admits that your failing ears are so full of earwax that they're practically unusable. It's a disservice to Mildly to be so impaired and useless!" Jakob jabbed, drawing a frown, but nothing more, from the only man there older than himself.

As Corrin flailed around in embarrassment and Jakob tried to edge Gunter on, Robin felt more at home than ever. Yes, the comparisons weren't perfect, but they reminded him of the Shepherds. His cover, if he slipped, would be that he had these memories of a past that he couldn't explain, and so were likely a dream, but that didn't mean he would accept it. The mark alone proved something was wrong. And this world had astral planes that they traveled through, so why couldn't he have traveled through a farther one? Maybe that was why Lilith was so uncomfortable around him. She realized his foreign origin and was trying to figure out how he got there.

The tactician then turned to the direction the group had just come from, hearing the flapping of wings and the faint sounds of human voices. They sounded almost like they were arguing.

"What's up, Robin?" Corrin asked, turning his direction. The rest of the group followed suit, and Sakura let out a small gasp when she saw the riders of the approaching winged beast.

"Subaki! Hana!" she exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth.

On a pegasus, flying at a surprising speed for being on a single mount, were two people, one brown haired, one red. The red haired one reminded Robin a lot of Cordelia, if he was being perfectly honest.

"Laaaa-dyyyy Saaaa-kuuuu-raaaa!" the brown haired girl shouted at the top of her lungs, launching herself off the pegasus which was still pretty high up and rolling to land in front of the pink princess' feet. "You weren't really thinking of leaving us behind were you!?"

The girl looked young, and was covered in rocks and dirt that caught on her hair and clothing as she tumbled toward her destination.

"Hana! What were you thinking! That was dangerous. What would you do if you had been hurt and frightened Lady Sakura? Or worse, if you had missed and rolled right off the cliff's edge!" her partner chided, gracefully landing and hopping off his pegasus. Or rather, gliding off his pegasus. No one should be able to move in such a perfectly fluid way without looking creepy. Was he in the presence of another Kellam level oddity, but just in a Cordelia sort of way…?

Hana pouted and started yelling at Subaki until Sakura finally got her to stop. The cherry blossom girl explained that the two newcomers were her retainers, and that she would like for them to come with the group if that was at all possible. Corrin of course welcomed them before Robin could get a word in, but it didn't really matter as he was planning to let them join anyway.

"This will make the encounter in the Wind Tribe Village a bit easier. Not only do we have more Hoshidans with us, but we'll better be able to fend off the tribalists attacks in the case that they do retaliate for our earlier actions." Azura closed her eyes as she said this. She obviously wasn't happy with the situation, but was bearing it the best she could.

Subaki and Hana hadn't been there for the incident, but the group couldn't waste any more time, and so Robin decided to fill them in on their way to the village.

Hana let out little gasps and squeals throughout the retelling, which was clearly annoying both Jakob and Gunter, but Sakura looked relieved to have her there, which certainly was a plus. The young princess obviously wasn't ready for war. Though having her friends there would help some, she clearly was in for an experience that she would be deeply changed by unless she was either very strong willed, or just ignorant and not paying attention.

Upon their arrival, Corrin's forces could see diviners and other troops stationed at every entrance and throughout the town. However, none of them moved an inch, and the group was able to make it reasonably far into town before they met a guide who led them to a tall shirtless man with darker skin than any of the town's other inhabitants. He was standing in front of some sort of castle, the winds which had been strong around them for their entire walk up even more powerful than before.

"I take it you're Fuga, right?" Robin decided getting straight to the point would be the easiest way to reach a quick understanding with the least violence possible. Earlier the tribalists had mentioned going back to warn Fuga and the other members of the tribe, and so he assumed that this Fuga person was the head of their tribe, or at least military. It made sense that the one they led Corrin's band to would be the man himself.

The man in front of him reminded Robin of the Khans due to his darker coloration and obvious muscular form. Though he seemed much calmer than the Khans, Fuga also was quite clearly in good shape, and had likely seen many battles in his days of his lack of tension and scars, clearly visible by his sparse clothing, were any indication.

"That I am. Are you the leader of this band which has attacked my men unprovoked? I've heard that Corrin has denounced both Hoshido and Nohr and retracted her connections to them, wishing to eliminate them both. Yet you are the one at the point. Tell me, what do you gain by destroying the Wind Tribe? Are we simply the first step on your path of utter destruction?"

Being the one directly addressed, Robin knew he should be the one to respond, but waited for Corrin to answer instead. It was her army after all. He would just stand to the side and keep her from saying anything damaging, as he had done with Chrom. Though if Chrom's first meeting with the East Khan was any indication of what was to come…

"Our path of utter destruction? What are you saying!? We're not trying to destroy you, or Hoshido, or Nohr, or anyone. We're not even the ones you need to be fighting! The real danger is the - mwph!" Corrin was then dragged back by Azura, who was clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Corrin! Careful!"

"O-oh yeah…" Corrin cleared her throat. "Um, I can't really explain right now, but please believe me when I say that we aren't your true enemies! We have to band together, or else things may begin to fall apart faster than even a war between Hoshido and Nohr could cause…" she trailed off, and Azura picked up for her.

"What we mean is that there is a force belonging to not Hoshido, nor Nohr, nor any other domain that you are familiar with that is seeking to attack us all. One that no one knows yet, but will soon cause unparalleled destruction of we don't manage to stop it. Its aim is to get us all to turn against each other, so that it may come in and attack the remains."

Fuga paused for a second, and the wind picked up even more than it had been before. Tribalists that had been standing still began to angle themselves towards the foreigners, and the group moved in on itself. Fuga then raised a hand, and his men stopped, though still in what seemed to be combat ready positions.

"Do you truly take me for such a fool? For someone so gullible? What you are saying is preposterous, and I will not lose any more men to your actions. My fellow members of the wind tribe, eliminate these wretched beasts before us!"

With that Fuga lowered his hand, and the winds grew strong enough to blow back Subaki and his pegasus, who was clearly having trouble with the air attempting to lift it off the ground.

Robin reached for his sword, as did Corrin and the others, and they got in combat positions to match those of their enemies. Then, a new voice broke out, causing everyone to pause.

"Chief Fuga, wait! Don't attack just yet!" the voice exclaimed, as its owner ran toward them. Dressed in loose pants, bandages, an upturned mask, and tribal paint was yet another dark skinned person, this time a female. "I don't know what you've heard yet, but I promise that it is not the truth!"

The wind tribe leader then brought his hand back up and to the side, making his followers pause yet again. This time, though, they moved into regular, albeit stiff, positions. It seemed that whoever this new woman was, she was important and earned the respect of the powerful man they found as their opponent.

"So, now even the daughter of the Flame Tribe's chief has turned traitor? What is it that these people are bribing you with to convince you to abandon us all like this? Has the Flame Tribe gone mad? What is it about this dangerous group that you find so important as to risk the life of not only yourself, but your tribe?" Fuga said.

"They have not bribed me in the slightest. Its just that… I believe Corrin is a good person. When I went to Nohr a short time ago, I was captured and sentenced to death by the king. Corrin, however, chose to spare me, believing violence was not the answer. That is why I cannot accept these rumours marking her as a madwoman hellbent on destroying both Hoshido and Nohr. No one insane enough to do that could be so kind...

"And, because of that, I owe her a debt that I haven't managed to repay yet. But look at you, ordering her death before you've even given her the chance to defend yourself. You may be a member of the wind tribe, while I'm a member of the flame, but we work in the same basic ways, don't we!? I know my father would give her a chance, so what is it that keeps you from giving her one!?" the new girl growled, tightening her fists.

"Rinkah…" Corrin breathed, honored to see her friend standing up for her.

"Fine then. If that is how you wish to run things, then so be it. Fight me with your full strength, without the use of any illusions or other tricks, and prove your determination!" Fuga bellowed, a fierce grin on his face.

He turned to his men and barked some orders at them, turning back to mention one last thing before setting up wherever he would stay for their battle.

"Just to let you know, I will be using all the available troops in the castle to defeat you. My men numbered only five when they attacked you, while you had nine, so I see it only fair that we reverse the situation. Good luck, and may the strongest man win!"

The Wind Tribe leader then sped off away from where Corrin's army came. As did… 28… other… tribalists…

"W-wait a minute!" Hana stuttered, looking around. "If there really were nine of us versus their five, then we had less than double what they did. They have more than triple!"

"Actually, Hana, since you and Subaki didn't arrive until after the attack, it was technically six versus five. And that's counting Sakura in the battle, who neither attacked nor healed until after the fight was over. So really it was five versus five, and the have over five times the amount of troops we did then" Kaze said, correcting the girl. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. War isn't always fair."

Hana, flustered, starting blabbing about how she couldn't have realistically known that and how it wasn't fair anyway, as Subaki stood on, a confused look on his face. Though he had been given an explanation, it was such a rushed one that he likely didn't quite understand what was going on.

"So, your name is Rinkah, right? You mentioned being from the flame tribe, so do you use magic in addition to your… club?" Robin asked the woman with the mask. She didn't look too much like someone who would, as most mages he knew were rather dainty (even dark knights weren't _that_ well built. The armor made them look a lot bulkier than many of them really were), but he could be wrong.

The Wind Tribe was full of mages with what were probably the equivalent of wind elemental scrolls, after all. Though Fuga didn't have a tome on him and he was clan head. He also had a club (or rather mace, from the looks of it) plus a katana at his side. Rinkah only appeared to be holding a club, and though her pants were pretty baggy, Robin doubted she was stowing away any scrolls in there.

"Hm? No, of course not! It's the tradition in the Hoshidan tribes for the clan leaders to wield clubs, not tomes! The wind tribe sub-specializes in katana, while the flame does in naginata, but the tribe leaders don't concern themselves with scrolls. We pride ourselves in our physical strength. Magic comes second." She declared, hand on her hips.

That sounded really backward. Their tribes were made up of mages and named after elements, but they all looked up to figures who almost scorned the practice. Though he supposed that if they all used whatever type of magic that was included in the scrolls they got their hands on, rather than just wind things…

The Wind Tribe village was located in the middle of a desert, on the other side of a mountain. That's what was likely causing the extreme winds, more so than just a few mages trying to put on a show or scare a few outsiders could do. Deserts were really hot in the day, but also freezing at night, and were subject to the rules of "hot air rises, cool air falls." Basically, the frequent temperature changes made the air move frequently too, creating wind of various intensities across the region.

So maybe they just moved there, realized it was really windy, and then made that the name of their tribe. Some of them might have picked up magic, while others didn't, and made their fighting force that way. _Were_ there any wind scrolls? From what he had seen, scrolls summoned animals, not elements. So maybe they didn't have the option without using Nohrian resources. Though he still wasn't fully familiar with Cantan tradition, there was enough animosity between the two, and they had different weapon types, so it made sense.

"Ah, I see. Does the fire tribe live by a volcano or something similar, by chance?" Robin asked Rinkah. If the wind tribe lived in a windy place, the the fire one probably lived in a fiery place, right?

Looking him up and down, Rinkah spoke: "What does that have to do with anything? Shouldn't we get to fighting Fuga and his men? C'mon, I know where the entrance to the battle maze is!" She then ran off, and one by one Corrin's army followed her.

"Oh come on! That was a reasonable question!" Robin groaned, running to meet up with his companions.

'The battle maze, huh? What does that mean?'

Rinkah then stopped abruptly, and the rest of the group looked to where she had fixed her gaze.

"So this is the famous Reppu Castle entrance maze…" Kaze said. He was frowning, and had his arms crossed as he always did when he wasn't fighting.

"What do you mean by maze, Kaze?" Corrin voiced the question that had been bothering Robin, much to his relief. He felt silly having to ask about something that was supposedly famous, but since Corrin didn't know about it either, then that made it a little better. "I do see the sort of winding pathway, but it doesn't seem too maze like to me. I mean, you can see all the paths and where they lead, so it shouldn't be too hard to get from one end to the other. If you don't count the battles, at least."

Corrin was right. There were a few places where the stone pathways split in two, but they were generally straightforward. Some led off past a cliff that jutted out of the nearby mountainside, but a few just ended in drops. There were a few chests that were slightly out of the way, but those would be no problem to get, just a minor detour.

What was it with places and open chests anyway? Those things get easily stolen! Hell, back in Ylisstol when the Shepherds were all worried about Emmeryn getting assassinated, Gaius managed to sneak into her chamber, take the chest, and get out without the exalt ever doing anything. And that was before she knew he had joined her brother's forces! Why was there a chest there in the first place, too? It was such a random spot for it. And the same principle applied here. At least in Ylisstol the chest was inside, so it could be considered as stored away in a safe place. Here, they were out in the open, where anyone could open them if the guard was low or changing, and they had quick fingers and feet. Robin was familiar with the "draw your enemy into a trap with bait" strategy, but that still didn't completely make sense. Even if there were pegasus knights hiding out somewhere, the chests themselves didn't have a huge guard around them, and could be taken without too much effort. It would be sort of annoying getting Kaze to them all before the battle ended (because Robin doubted Fuga would let them take the chests' contents after the battle, though he probably wouldn't protest too much if they were spoils of battle), but still possible.

"Don't you feel it?" Hana whispered, eyes wide.

"Feel what?" This time it was Jakob that spoke.

"The wind. Look!"

Hana pointed out her finger to the right, where Robin realized the wind was blowing so hard he could _see_ it.

"It's all around us. Check the left too." Kaze nodded in that direction, and Robin realized that the ninja was right.

"How are we supposed to get through that!?" Corrin cried out, motioning with her arms in a grand fashion toward one of the closest wind tunnels. Or… whatever those things were called.

"The wind dies down for short periods of time, during which we should be able to get in an attack and get back out. Some of us may get blown around though. See the wind to the right? It has a sort of green tinge to it, doesn't it?" At Kaze's explanation, various members of the group nodded in confirmation. "That wind will blow you forward if you're standing in its path as it gets to its strongest point. The wind just to our left has a brown tinge, or maybe just sand, but that will blow you back. It's powerful enough to blow you from one platform to the next, so be very careful." He had a thoughtful look on his face, and turned to Corrin to see what she has to say. Instead, it was Joker who spoke next.

"And how exactly did you come across this information, hmm? Aren't you a Hoshidan retainer or something? So shouldn't you have been spending your time in _Hoshido,_ not over here?" Jakob was once again suspicious of someone (how long was it going to take to break out of that, anyway? They were a team, they needed to bond of they were to be at all successful) and was squinting at the green haired man.

"Technically I am not a Hoshidan retainer, as I serve no Lord in particular. I do help the Hoshidan crown, however, and have assisted the wind tribe in a few skirmishes before. The wind tribe used to be very close to someone in Hoshido's elite, apparently, so when there are disagreements within her region that the wind tribe is involved in, we usually side with them. Just in minor ways though. Typically to work to lessen tensions. My assistance was more… guarding a random Hoshidan diplomat outside the royal family as they tried to talk down whatever anger was gathering. Once or twice we were unsuccessful though, and I got to witness the castle defenses in action. That's where I gained my information. Is that satisfactory, Jakob?"

Jakob looked uncomfortable, and grunted out a "Fine," before turning away.

"I'm kind of surprised you noticed the wind shoots so quickly, Hana. Have you ever thought about moving here or something?" Robin joked, wondering what sort of reaction that would get.

"Only before I met Lady Sakura! I'd never leave her now! But I almost did, when I was real little, and I think my mom took me here a few times," the girl chattered on.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Mhm! My dad used to be a member of King Sumeragi's personal guard back when they were… still alive…" she paused, and looked down before pursing her lips and tightening her shoulders, balling her fists up near her face. "But! My mom was originally from the wind tribe, so it's in my blood, y'know? The wind tribe wasn't actually designated as its own domain until King Sumeragi took the throne. Until then, it was just a pretty disconnected part of Hoshido that most people kind of ignored it.

"Like Kaze said, sometimes we Hoshidans will help the wind tribe out, and we did it even more often back when Sumeragi was still King, and the wind tribe was working out its independence. Since negotiations for the conditions of the split and how much territory would be given to the tribe were complicated, the king had to visit a lot, and took his guard with him. My mom was a priestess in the castle, and so she was one of the ones who would entertain my dad and his fellow guards when they were barred from being inside the meeting room. Only two retainers could go in, you see, and King Sumeragi would switch who it was each time. Anyway, during those meetings they got to talking, and eventually decided to get hitched! So, though my dad was Hoshidan born true, my mom was a member of the wind tribe! That's part of how I got my name actually. What about you, Kaze? I know you're a ninja guy and where your brother got his name, but you've never really talked about your family," she babbled, looking back at him.

"... My parents liked it. Nothing less, nothing more. They weren't planning on having a second son, so they chose the first thing that came to mind."

"What do you mean by that?" Robin decided that it was his turn to speak up for once, curious as to the connection between Kaze and Hana's names.

"Kaze's name is short for Suzukaze, and Hana's for Kazahana. Kaze also happens to mean wind, hence the connection to the wind tribe," Azura said.

"Waaaaait. When did I tell you my full name? And since when were you and Kaze such good friends that he told you? I only found his full name out 'cause Queen Mikoto told me me and Kaze were nickname buddies! That's unfair!" Hana pouted, as Sakura began to giggle, and Subaki let out the most unnerving, perfectly even laugh. Something was definitely weird about that guy.

"But didn't Azura just say kaze was for wind? Not kaz _a?_ " Jakob asked her.

"W-well... Mom didn't want it to be _too_ obvious, so she made it Kazahana instead of Kazehana. Plus, then it's a string of uninterupted 'a's which is also cool! But it's close enough isn't it!" Hana puffed.

...That didn't really make sense. Didn't Hoshido use a character system? Maybe the kaze sound meant wind, and not a specific character attached to the sound. But, Robin didn't know their written language and wasn't going to argue with Hana since she seemed really stubborn, so he let it slide.

"Pardon the interruption, but shouldn't we get to the fighting now? I don't think Fuga will wait forever. If we don't act, he very well may send out his men to fight while we are still conversing," Gunter pointed out.

"Mm. Well then, let's get going, everyone!" Corrin punched the air, and everyone got into position for the upcoming battle.

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 **Author's Note: And I'm splitting the chapter here. Pre-revision, it's at about 8,300 words at this point. The next chapter will likely be significantly shorter, maybe around the 4,000 word mark, but I don't want this one to be any longer than it already is. So, next time will include the battle, and the talk afterward. Plus some other things. I don't have a written outline for this story, just a few ideas and the plot of Revelation. I know of a few things I want to happen here and there, and at least what a portion of the ending will include, but that's about it. Also, about Hana's name. I wrote the end of this chapter convinced her name was Kazehana. I didn't realize it was actually Kazahana, with an "a" so... I fixed it sort of, but that's why it's sort of weird. Thank you for reading this chapter, and I'll see you next time. Originally completed September 1, 2016.**

 **EDIT: September 18, 2016. Well, I just went back and fixed a bunch of grammar errors, and added 100 or 200 words. Little things mostly, like adding in the character things to Hana's name that I meant to include originally but forgot about and... whatever else. I don't remember. It's almost midnight. Oh yeah! I realized when writing the next chapter that I had accidentally based Fuga's weapons and thus Rinkah's comment on naginata vs. katana use on what Fuga wields in Birthright, not Revelation, so that's a small mistake on my part. It's very minor though, and there's no real reason for Fuga to have those exact, specific weapons, so I didn't change anything. That's all for now.**

 **Eruran out.**


	6. Battle Against the Wind Tribe

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! I have a good reason... No, I don't. I wrote the first 300 words or so on paper, and wanted to grab that paper before I wrote the chapter on Google Docs. However, I am very lazy and didn't feel like looking for the paper, so I didn't realy start writing this until two days ago. Two days ago... which was just over 2 weeks after I published the last chapter. So this is a few days overdue. But it's out, and I hope you enjoy it. I'll go back and revise the last chapter after this, though I won't really change any plot relevant things so don't worry about it. Just some grammar/formatting and minor sentence corrections/additions. Enjoy!**

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The first thing Robin did was split the group in two. The first group included Kaze, who would go with Subaki to the left toward the chests, since the Pegasus knight had the highest movement range of those who would fight. The enemies near the containers didn't appear to be particularly strong, but were still large in number. As a precaution, and because every group should have with it a healer, Sakura would thus also go with them. Small cuts and bruises were easy to shake off, but enough cuts could slow someone down just so that their reaction time was delayed by a second, which could mean the difference between kicking the enemy down and losing a finger. Hana was there to round off to an even four, and because she had the best chemistry with Sakura at the moment. Later on Robin would work on pairing up people who had little experience fighting with each other, but for now it was best to stick to what worked. At least, until he saw how good his newcomers were.

Hana also rounded off their weapon types. Subaki used a naginata, Kaze shuriken, and Hana herself a katana, so the group had three different pieces of equipment to use. It could be considered two types, because naginata and shuriken were on the same branch of the weapon triangle (and since when were bows and tomes part of the weapon triangle? They surely weren't back in Arit), but the range granted by the shuriken put it in another category as far as Robin was concerned. For the moment, anyway.

The grouping was also completely Hoshidan, which would hopefully make the members of the wind tribe hesitate at least slightly in their attacks. One Nohrian was enough to change the minds of the tribalists. As such, Jakob, Corrin, Robin, Azura, and Rinkah formed the other group. The first three were visually foreign, which Robin could do nothing to change, while Azura was known to not be Hoshidan, so any reservations the wind tribe might have had about them were erased on the basis of point of origin. Rinkah was just the left over. Though…

"Rinkah! Go with Kaze's group!" That would probably make things a bit more even. Hana would have her hands full protecting Sakura, and Rinkah could complete the triangle. It also meant each group had 4 fighters, since Sakura really didn't count. Unless she secretly had pure muscle hidden underneath those sleeves, Robin doubted she'd be able to do much more than annoy someone by whacking them over the head with her festal if it came to it. Or possibly daze them. That _could_ be a good strategy. Not only would the blow to the head throw them off, but seeing such a timid, dainty girl slam them with all her might would probably make the enemy stop out of pure confusion. And maybe draw the eyes of everyone around…

...But that wasn't certain, and as funny as it would be, Robin didn't want to risk it. He'd just have to wait until the next battle or so, when they'd hopefully have enough people that he could execute his plan with an extra member for backup just in case it didn't work out.

Which brought him to his current "dilemma" of sorts. He lacked an extra member because of his planning Gunter out of the battle. As powerful as the old man was, he really wasn't worth using at all. Because he wasn't just old, he was _old_. He could pass for Robin's grandfather for crying out loud! Or Gerome's. They had a pretty similar hairstyle going on there, and both had the habit of straightening up their backs and puffing out their chests in a servant sort of way.

Though Rosanne and House Virion must have been gone for a good portion of Gerome's life, Cherche must have instilled at least some of her values and servant-ly ways on the kid. He did follow Inigo and Lucina (but mostly Inigo) as though he was waiting for them to ask him something at all times. Really, he should have been following Kjelle. Cherche did serve Virion, and Gerome as her son would thus serve Virion's daughter by proxy, but he chose to hang with different nobles, for whatever reason. Maybe it was just by how needy they were. Virion, though possessing the capability to be serious, liked being over dramatic and to beg for whatever it was he felt like at the time. Kjelle had inherited Sully's no-nonsense, "I can do whatever the hell you throw at me without your help" sort of personality, so she didn't require much assistance at all. At least, that was what she showed in front of Robin. Maybe she was different when not in his presence. Most of the children tried to put on a brave face in front of their parents, and their parents' friends after all.

Inigo on the other hand… was a bit more like Virion than Virion's actual kid. Or maybe sort of the opposite. He had that womanizing personality down, but in a different sort of way. He was more genuine, though that didn't properly describe it. He seemed to be serious with his compliments. Inigo also seemed a lot more lonely. Maybe that was why Gerome always hung around him. Kjelle had her own friend group with Cynthia, Nah, and the others, but Inigo didn't really have anyone to be with most of the time, other than the women he was always asking out to tea. Owain liked to do things with the dancer, but was also a pretty sociable person himself and was always off with someone or another trying to complete his latest quest. Gerome tended to fill that spot then, even when he seemed about ready to slap Inigo upside the head for whatever stunt Inigo pulled or dragged him into.

That… wasn't really relevant though. He was doing that a lot lately. Getting nostalgic. Did people who actually _had_ memories get lost in them as often as he seemed to be? He had a good three years to go by, and had never really experienced significant change. Every once in a while, during peace time, he would get kind of nostalgic thinking about the war with Plegia (which was kind of odd, now that he thought about it. Who misses war? Maybe it was because it was the first thing he could really remember. He woke up, fought in Southtown, joined the Shepherds, fought some more, and went to war. Fighting was more familiar than not doing so, even if he had spent a whole two years out of his less than four living in peace). Not as often as he was doing now though… he would just have to work on concentration. That would solve things! A new land meant new things to think about. Maybe he was getting caught up in old ideas now because he was always so busy with new things when not in battle. He was much more used to fighting than the astral plane and the aspects of Canta, so relaxing might have just been easier doing what he was at the moment.

"Robin, are you sure we shouldn't call back Gunter to even out the numbers? This battle doesn't look easy, and I'm not sure if we can win without him. He's probably the strongest one here, and has the most battle experience," Corrin asked. She walked over to Robin and gestured to the entrance to the maze, where the knight was currently standing guard. Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. At least Corrin was thinking logically. And it wasn't as though she could have known how good the tactician was himself. He was supposedly an amnesiac, and certainly wasn't showing off what he could at the moment. Plus, she was probably right. Gunter _was_ the physically strongest out of the Cantan group (minus Corrin, who if given a weapon of the same caliber could probably do just as much if not more damage than the old man. She was just doing less because divine weapon or not, the Yato wasn't all that strong when compared to the gear Gunter held), and certainly had the most defense, but failed in other areas. He'd have to have a talk with the girl about the importance of considering speed, skill, and other good points later. She was improving remarkably quickly, though. It was nice to have such a fast learner at his side. For now, he needed to concentrate on the battle at hand.

"Trust me on this. Right now, we need to make sure no reinforcements arrive from the front of the castle," 'which they won't' "and Gunter is the best man to do that. You also have to consider the current situation with the wind. We as people have hands and thumbs with good grip. If the winds were to blow us off one platform, we could grip the other and keep from falling. We're also fairly light. Chances are, if what Kaze said is correct, the winds will lift us from one end to the other, no problem. I'm not so sure about what will happen with an armored horse. From what I've seen so far, Hoshidans don't wear nearly as much armor as Nohrians, and don't have horses either.

"Subaki would be fine even if the winds couldn't fully support him and his mount, because pegasi can fly and lift him back onto the platform in case he fell. A plain old wingless horse on the other hand… There's sand down there, and not only would a fall really hurt it, but it might begin to sink in, and I really don't want to think about how hard it would be to move a horse, stuck in sand, with a broken leg. Plus, Gunter might get dragged down with it and I don't think he would be happy with us letting him get crushed by his own horse. You get what I'm saying, right?" Robin finished.

Corrin nodded fiercely, and walked back over to Jakob and Azura to talk a few things over with the two.

If it weren't for the fact that Kaze seemed to be an honest man, Robin would have called the whole thing bogus. Winds that can push only the enemy, evenly through air, over 60 meters, and always managed to land the people on the platforms? What kind of unrealistic, silly design was that? The whole thing about Subaki and the safety granted by his pegasus was complete nonsense Robin had pulled together to justify not bringing Gunter.

The elderly knight was just too old to use. It would only be a matter of weeks, or even days, before all the others passed him up. Even if he did improve a little, it was doubtful that the servant would get better at a faster rate than the younger members of Corrin's army. It was already obvious from what had gone on in the few days since Robin met Corrin, Jakob, and Azura that they were rocketing up in skill level. Gunter was just average. And that was a reaching compliment. Right now, the others needed the experience from the battle, and Robin was sure the group would do just fine without him. The tactician was actually kind of hurt by Corrin's comment. Didn't she have _any_ confidence in him?

'I mean, come on! Think of how well we did at Fort Jinya for Naga's sake! I'm not completely incompetent…' Robin thought. It was kind of depressing. Running an entire army might have taken a ton of work, more so than he would have liked on several occasions, but it was nice to have people who believed in him. Thinking about it was seriously bumming him out, and all the reminiscing combined with having to explain such a simple concept was making his head hurt. Was it that hard to wrap your head around something so simple? To trust a guy?

Sending Kaze's group left, Robin joined the three who had stood over him when he woke up in the new land he found himself in. Jakob could heal and attack from afar, Corrin could power through whatever headed at her, Robin would handle whatever came his way, and Azura rounded them out as support.

The plan was simple. Eliminate everyone in sight, get the treasures, and meet up at the bridge to where Fuga stood. Or rather, not eliminate. Incapacitate would be a better term. Corrin was adamant about not killing anyone. Robin doubted they'd make it the whole war without taking a single life, but he'd do his best to respect her wishes for the moment. The members of the wind tribe seemed reasonable enough. If Corrin's army managed to get a hold of their scrolls and chuck them down into the sand below, they'd probably remove themselves from the battle. Robin had also stocked each member with vulneraries in case they did something that would require immediate healing as to prevent someone from bleeding out. The shop in Fort Corrin was pretty well stocked.

And speaking of which, what was up with that? Why was there a shop in the astral plane that the army members had to _pay_ for? Even if you completely ignored however it was that Lilith managed to stock the store, where did the money go? It's not like Lilith could just leave and go buy herself dragon kibble with it. Really, there were so many things wrong with the situation that Robin could speak for a day straight and not finish. It was probably best to just leave it alone.

"Well then, I'll be off. So try to keep up Hana, we wouldn't want to disappoint Lady Sakura," Subaki chuckled, flying away with Kaze. The ninja was sitting straight up on Subaki's pegasus, not touching the other man in the slightest despite the fact that his current position wasn't the most stable. Then again, Kaze did have very sharp blades on the insides of his sleeves, so he would end up ripping the red head's clothing to pieces if he held on. But the pegasus was getting poked with the way Kaze was gripping it, and the ninja noticed. Fixing himself, he crossed his arms as to not slice the flying creature. However, this meant the ninja was much less balanced, so he visibly clutched the flying beast tighter with his legs. The Pegasus whinnied out of pain and drew the attention of nearby enemies, who finally got into combat positions.

"H-hey! No fair, Subaki! What if Lady Sakura gets hurt because you aren't there to protect her! And wait up! You got a head start!" Hana wailed, chasing after Subaki and slicing through everyone in her path. Sakura stayed a few feet behind the samurai, and Rinkah a few behind the princess. They seemed to be working out fairly well, and Robin began ordering his group to move out.

"Corrin, you take the front. Jakob, stay right at her back, just far enough away that the Yato can't take a chunk out of you. Azura, spear anyone who comes in from the sides and sing for Jakob whenever you have the chance. I'll take the rear. Does that sound good, Corrin?" Robin directed at the girl.

"Me? Oh, uh, yeah. But why do you want to know what I think? I mean, you're the tactician. I'm fine with listening to what you say."

"Because this is _your_ army, not mine. One day we may end up separated, and our troops will need someone to take up the lead. I'm not going to be around forever, so you'll have to pick up where I left off. This is just a little taste. I'll let you direct where we go today, and will just correct the little things I think could go a smidge better." Robin responded.

It wasn't all that big of a risk putting her in charge, anyway. They were on a relatively one way path, and he had already given them just about all the direction they needed. Robin's words would hopefully also inspire Corrin and Azura to think for themselves. He would have addressed them more directly, but both would have shrugged his words off. Jakob would insist that it was Corrin who would lead, and that he would simply stay by her side the entire time; Azura would likely give some short self deprecating statement and also pass off the position to Corrin.

"What do you mean by that? Are you planning on leaving us soon or something?" Corrin asked, curious.

An oni savage raised his club to attack the her, having been alerted by the cries of Subaki's pegasus, but Jakob threw a dagger at the man's unprotected stomach, it piercing him. Slowed, the shirtless man paused long enough for Corrin to kick him to the floor. Azura then hit the man in the temple with the end of her naginata, and their opponent stopped moving.

Robin picked up the motionless man's club. "No, not necessarily. But I one day want to go back home. And chances are, that's not somewhere close. I obviously don't fit in with the Hoshidans, and from Jakob's words I don't match any Nohrian region he's heard of. My homeland is probably a ways away from here, and if I returned I wouldn't be able to help you anymore. So that's why. I plan on sticking with you until the end of this war, but will take my leave after. If any battles or fights pick up after my departure, I'm counting on you to lead your old troops to victory." Robin then tossed the club down into the sand below, and checked the tribalist for any other weapons, of which he had none.

Realistically… He knew where his home was, and that it was far enough away that it would be impossible to even get in touch with Corrin if he went back. He was from another world, and though he had traveled through the Outrealm Gate a few times before, it wasn't as if he could come and go as he pleased. Naga had granted him passage to fight for the children in what Chrom had deemed "the Future Past" in hopes that that future would never come again. He couldn't just power his own interdimensional travel. But if that was so… would he ever be able to get back to Arit in the first place?

"Aaaaah~" Azura sang, suddenly in front of Robin.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You looked… off, and threw that club, really, _really_ far away, which must have taken some considerable effort. Your seem… uncomfortable, or tired or something. I figured singing would put you a little more on your game," she answered.

"Oh. Thanks. Now Corrin, what next?" Robin asked, stepping past the blue girl haired in front of him. She was right, he wasn't feeling the best at that moment. Discomfort wasn't quite the word for it but… it would suffice.

"Onwards! There's someone just ahead. We'll run up to him as fast as we can, and then all go. Um… He looks like a mage, so it's probably best if… Jakob hits first. He has range. Oh, maybe the four of us can box him in; then we won't have to worry about range, right?" Corrin shouted, pointing Yato straight out in front of her.

The wind was whipping through her hair, and she looked as though she belonged in an adventure play. Silver armor glinting, cape billowing, head held high, and sword out, she was the perfect representation of a child's dream idol. The sand dunes weren't all that interesting, and paled in comparison to the castles that most stories took place in, but it added better effects. Because despite what many novels said, armor did not actually tend to shine during indoor battles. Candlelight was quite poor unless there were lanterns or chandeliers everywhere, and even large windows did not let enough light on to create the same kind of shine brought on by the midday sun reflecting both directly onto, and indirectly off the sand back onto Corrin's armor.

"Ah yes. Good strategy. But may I add a small revision?" Robin asked, smirking.

"Totally!"

"I think, and just remember this is only a suggestion, that we should wait at the edge of the bridge rather than making our way all the way over to where the _diviner_ is standing." From what Robin understood, mages and diviners were different, and he hoped she caught on.

"But why? Shouldn't we be trying to get to Fuga as fast as possible?"

"Yes, and this will help us do it. Think. What is it about this region that's molded our current strategy? How is it unique?" Robin suggested, hoping Corrin would catch on to his implication.

"... The wind! The diviner's standing in it…" she realized, bringing a hand to her chin as a thoughtful look rested on her face.

"Exactly. Going straight to attack the diviner would prevent us from taking some damage, yes, but the wind would push us back to where we started, which is what we don't want. As you said, we should be trying to get to Fuga as fast as possible. We can take a small hit in exchange for not having to work back to our current position."

Corrin took Robin's words in mind, and sent Jakob first, putting herself directly behind the butler. She only directed him partway as Robin suggested, and he smiled. With a small correction, Robin moved Corrin far enough back as to not be in the enemy's scroll range, and pushed the unconscious oni savage next to Jakob so the diviner wouldn't be able to pass either to get to the rest of them. If the diviner attempted to walk over his friend, which he probably wouldn't do, Jakob could just grab him or stick a dagger in his neck. Which wasn't the plan, since they were aiming to be as bloodless as possible, but the members of the wind tribe didn't need to know that.

Corrin agreed, and they set up. Sure enough, the diviner went for Jakob, who got in two daggers before the winds suddenly shifted. When walking through the wind that ended up blowing them back, green or brown tinge was visible in the air. Now the tinge surrounded them, signalling they would be pushed if they didn't move quickly. Jakob took a step further away from the group, finishing their opponent. Azura went behind him, sang her usual tune, and he moved again. Corrin followed her servant out of the wind, but her fellow princess wasn't moving any longer. She stayed where she was, hair and dress getting thrown about.

'Oh come _on_ Azura. Just take two steps and you'll be out of the wind! Do you _want_ to get carried away!? I mean, I know this wind is pointing forward and not back, but we really shouldn't be separated,' Robin cursed. He grabbed Azura by the arm, and attempted to drag her out of the wind. Unfortunately for them, the wind activated much faster than the other one, and moved them both a platform up, away from Corrin and Jakob who called out for the two.

It was an odd feeling, getting moved horizontally through the air. He had moved vertically through the air before, when he was riding with Sumia and her pegasus had taken an arrow to the wing, causing them to both plummet to the ground. They were close enough to a cliff that the pegasus itself landed only a few feet from where it had fallen, but Robin and Sumia had been thrown back as they fell. Cordelia rushed over and caught her sister in arms, but Robin wasn't so lucky. He crashed down, hitting his head hard on the rocky ground below. A few minutes later he woke up, Maribelle overhead. His head was pounding, and he felt as though his arm had just been healed from a fracture, but continued on anyway. He was the tactician, and couldn't let the Shepherds be hurt just because he wasn't feeling like he could fly over a rainbow. Of course, once they got back to the barracks Libra bluntly declared him as having a concussion and banned him from doing anything but sitting or lying down for the next two days. But it wasn't all that bad. The most frustrating thing wasn't his injuries, but the fact that he wasn't even allowed to read, in worries of him "rehurting his banged up noggin" as Lissa had cheerfully put it when Chrom came in to check in on his second in command.

"Damn it… Azura, go for the bridge to our left. Corrin and Jakob will hopefully have the insight to push through the enemies to get to us, so we should be able to meet up there. I'll take care of the enemies to our back, since there seem to be more," Robin ordered, pushing the girl in front of him.

She always seemed overly winded after she sang, and Robin was worried that it was more than just a result of poor endurance. If he ever had guarantee of no battles, the army would definitely be running some laps around Fort Corrin to keep this from happening again. But Azura… they would have to have a talk later. Something was certainly wrong, and Robin needed to know about it lest the group suffer from her secrecy.

"But what about the men in front of us? I can fight, but I don't know if I can take them on. My defense is… less than acceptable, I know." Azura said, moving toward the men nonetheless.

"Yes it is, and that is why you will be going for the _diviner_ , and not the big man with the club. You've got some great resistance to make up for your lack of defense, so we should be safe there. Corrin on the other hand has such poor resistance that she gives me a heart attack whenever she tries to attack someone with magic, so I'm just praying she takes care of the brute for us, rather than the guy you should be going after. And don't worry. Worst comes to worse my coat is stuffed to the brim with vulneraries and a concoction, and I can blast the tribalist with lightning if it comes to it. You just concentrate on defeating the diviner. Go!"

The aforementioned diviner had already locked on to Azura, and was summoning up his spirit beast, sending it running at her. Robin could hear someone coming up behind him, and saw a young man dressed in blue holding up a sparkling scroll.

'Damn it. I don't have time for this! So much for letting the others get good fighting experience. Sorry kid, but I can't let the others lose because I let you by…!' Robin then sent a lightning bolt straight at the boy, hurtling the kid back into the man following him. Both were knocked to the ground, the boy not moving, and the other enemy panicking. The conscious man then pulled out a vulnerary and began dragging his partner away from Robin, effectively blocking the way and stopping anyone from getting past him to where Robin and Azura were. 'Oops. I didn't mean to put that much power into the spell… Uh. That kid is a lot younger than anyone else on this battlefield, so he's got to be important. Is he Fuga's nephew or something? Ugh. He is going to be so mad at me… I hope this doesn't kill our chance of friendly relations.'

Azura let out a small cry as she and the diviner's spell colided, drawing Robin's attention back to the girl. She didn't falter, however, running through the trails of sparks and magic left by the magic beast that had hit her to attack its caster. The princess lifted her naginata over her head, bringing it down with a twirl, sweeping through the man in front of her. She then lunged out again, stabbing forward and hitting her opponent in the arm. He dropped his scroll, holding his bleeding arm, and when Azura took another step forward, held his good arm up in surrender. Azura then used her weapon to flick the scroll down to the sands below, and turned to Robin, looking for approval.

It was obvious she felt bad for what she had done, but Robin gave her a thumbs up anyway. She was better than he had expected, steeling herself when it became necessary, and Robin was proud. The diviner, in the other hand, looked absolutely confused and slightly offended. Someone had just come close to slicing his forearm off, and that someone's companion was giving them a thumbs up for it? It was a bit odd, but Robin was really happy and full of pride after Azura's victory, so hurting anyone else's pride aside he just had to.

"Kyagh!" Corrin screamed, slamming Yato into the enemy that separated her from Robin and Azura. The man was pushed back by the action, teetering toward the edge, and Corrin set her face in a victorious expression. She had just reached her companions! Except... She didn't just kind of gently push the oni savage toward the edge of the bridge. She had hit the man so hard that he was literally thrown off the edge, into open air.

The man screamed, and the four warriors of Corrin's jaws dropped. They were _trying_ not to kill anybody, but the man was already injured and about to plummet into the sand. Corrin moved to grab the man, but Jakob gripped her arm and pulled his mistress close to his body. A look of guilt crossed Corrin's face, and Azura put a hand to her mouth.

They all let out sighs of relief, however, when the wind activated and flung the man back toward a previous platform.

"Yaaaaarggggg!" he screamed, rolling over on the platform he hit face first, before stopping in a heap. He put out a hand to get up, but then fell back down in a crumpled heap, letting out a little "Oomph."

Robin's companions then let out a few words about how they were relieved he didn't fall, and of their wonder at whether or not he would be okay, but the tactician himself doubled over laughing.

Azura shot him a look of disapproval, clearly not appreciating his laughter at someone else's (totally hilarious) injury. Jakob just pulled back as if he was questioning Robin's sanity, and Corrin just looked confused.

"That was… interesting. Well, since he didn't fall, shouldn't we get going? Kaze should be finishing up soon, shouldn't he?" the white haired girl suggested.

Robin collected himself and nodded silently, not trusting in his ability to keep from laughing again if he opened his mouth. He could see the other group in the distance, and they looked to be doing just fine.

There were several tribalists sitting in a circle, and the ones facing Robin all had frowns on. One had his head in his hands, and none of them were armed, obviously having been defeated and having accepted it. There was one chest on a platform to the left of where the full group had originally started already opened, and one to the left of where Robin stood the same. Subaki was currently holding off two men aiming to attack Kaze, who was opening a third. Rinkah jumped up and brought her club down on the head of one of them, and Subaki dealt a final blow to the second, who fell to the ground just after his companion. Sakura was placed safely in a corner of the platform, festal up as she healed Hana who was still on the lookout for any enemies that might pop up to attack the two while Sakura was distracted.

Corrin's group moved up, and quickly defeated the wind tribe members on the platform ahead. Waiting momentarily for Kaze and crew to catch up, Robin felt a magic blast blow past his head. He simply turned, unalarmed, while his 3 allies dropped into combat stances. On the bridge leading to Fuga was the young boy from earlier, bandaged and furious.

"You sure are persistent, aren't you?" Robin chuckled, crossing his arms as he addressed the boy. "You know, you really remind me of someone else I know, who was also stubborn and itching to prove himself. He used magic, too. You're not the same of course. You look a little more mature without that giant, goofy hat."

The tribalist paused, confused, before lifting up his scroll.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but I'm not going to let you win, you jerk! And what do you mean a _little_ more mature. I'm _very_ mature! I'm not some sniveling kid, y'know! And I'll prove it!" the boy yelled, letting his scroll loose and sending a beast at Robin. Azura attempted to cleave it in two with her naginata, but it did little other than blur the image of the spell. Unlike the tomes that Robin was used to, these scroll beasts didn't seem to damage anything other than flesh. If you fired a tome's wind spell at a naginata (or rather a spear, since Robin had never seen a naginata before his arrival in Canta), it would be blown back and possibly snapped in two provided the spell was strong enough. The spells of scrolls on the other hand completely ignored the weapon and brushed by toward Robin, who was standing still. Tomes did at least slightly ignore physical objects, as the heavy armor of generals did not protect them from spells in the slightest (though that may have been because of the material they were made of. Miriel hypothesized that metal altered magical effects, which was part of the reasons mages wore cloth, but had yet to completely confirm it), but scrolls were on a different level.

The boy was still panting, obviously injured from Robin's earlier attack, and his spell wouldn't do much. Corrin however, ever the hero, decided to jump in front of the tactician, attempting to shield him with her own body. Had Robin's arms not been crossed and had he had the time, Robin would have face palmed. But he didn't, so he merely sighed as Corrin got herself injured and Jakob charged at the boy, enraged. He staggered from the dagger hits, and dropped to a knee. The tribalist raised his scroll once more to let out another attack, but wasn't fast enough. Planted firmly on Subaki's pegasus, Kaze threw a shuriken straight at the magic casting item and hit it dead on. The scroll was a knocked from the boy's grasp, and joined many others in the sand below.

"What? No! You can't!" The boy said, tearing up slightly. He seemed to notice it right away, and promptly and furiously wiped the water away with his sleeve. Getting back up, he attempted to run to where Fuga stood. But Kaze stood in his path, having hopped off Subaki's mount while the boy spoke. The diviner grunted in frustration, and then sat down, hands on his cheeks as he glared at the group.

Robin smiled sweetly as he passed, getting a kick out of how hard the kid had tried to stop them. He was similar to Ricken, for sure, but was determined to prove himself in a different way. This one had a little more teen angst mixed into his stubborn nature. But the two looked alike, so regardless of similarities in terms of personality, they had their appearances to speak for connection.

Rinkah and Hana met up with the rest of the group right after, and they moved toward the last remaining wind tribe troops. Quickly defeating everyone else on the final platform, Robin and Corrin moved in front of Fuga, who was standing strong.

"You may have been victorious so far," the tall man began, initiating conversation, "but let us see how you fare against my strength. The final test begins!"

Raising his club, he threw it at Corrin, who rolled out of the way. Rinkah grunted as she jumped up to attack Fuga, but was promptly swatted away by the man as he pulled a naginata off his back. Though Rinkah had said the wind tribe sub-specialized in katana, the man had clearly gone to further arm himself with the third member of the main Hoshidan weapon triangle while Corrin's group prepared, and was quite adept at using it.

Both Kaze and Jakob threw their respective ranged weapons at the leader of the wind tribe, but they did minimal, if any, damage. Subaki then swooped down, batting Fuga's naginata away with his own. While the old man was distracted, Hana moved in, delivering a powerful blow to the man's unprotected back. He let out a small noise, throwing Subaki off and moving to slice Hana with the katana he had grabbed from his side, but Corrin had gotten up and blocked the blade. Rinakh had also recovered thanks to a quick song from Azura, and swung her club at Fuga's head. She stopped just before his temple, holding the weapon still.

Everyone froze, and Fuga let out a small chuckle.

"It seems you have bested me. Though I do think eight on one is a bit unfair, victory is yours. I yield."

'...Technically it was seven on one, since I didn't actually do anything. And are we really counting Azura? She didn't actually try to hit you. I mean, she did help Rinkah deal the final not-blow, but still.'

Sakura moved to heal Fuga's back, and the man accepted with a polite nod and a few words of thanks. Jakob then began to heal Corrin, who had downed a vulnerary after blocking the spell aimed at Robin, but was still injured. The others stood silently, waiting as members of the wind tribe and Gunter began filtering onto the platform from the bridge, slightly nervous.

Rinkah chose that moment to break her silence.

"So, are you gonna apologize to my dad about this? You slandered the name of our tribe. We of the fire tribe have pride, and I would never turn traitor! I'm strong too, Wind Tribe Leader Fuga," she spat.

Fuga raised his eyebrows at her words, and gave his reply.

"Yes, I will. I do apologize for my assumptions. And I certainly won't doubt your strength again. After all, it was you who put in the final action that brought my defeat. Congratulations, Rinkah of the Fire Tribe. I am confident my brethren of the flames will prosper once you take lead."

"Hmph!" Rinkah scoffed and walked away, but Robin could tell she was blushing at the praise.

Fuga then looked at Robin, as if to say 'Of course, it was an equal effort and simply chance that she was the one to finish me, but I'll grant her the pride nonetheless,' and Robin smiled back.

Corrin then stepped forward, Jakob having finished healing her.

"So, will you listen to us now? We aren't making this all up. We just can't explain it all yet." She had a sincere expression, and Fuga let out a breath.

"Of course. From our battle, I could tell you have the pure, honest spirit of a warrior. Though I do not fully understand what prevents you from revealing your reasons, I believe they are for the greater good. You remind me of Sumeragi, in our younger days, with that determination and nature," he explained.

"Father was like that, too?" Sakura said quietly, barely loud enough to hear over the winds which still blew over the desert.

"All that and more, child. Your father was my brother in arms, and we went on many an adventure together. He was a monster in battle, but not inhumane. His power was unmatched, as was his kindness and give for forgiveness. He was so close to his blade, the Raijinto, and I can see now why Corrin wields the Yato. A divine weapon for a person well worthy of wielding it."

Sakura's eyes were sparkling, from tears and joy alike, and Azura hugged her. The girl leaned into the older woman's touch, and Corrin spoke up once more.

"You know of the Yato?"

"Of course. Not only is it a weapon of legend, but Sumeragi spoke of it a few times. It is said to be the key to the Seal of Flames; a key to limitless power which is rumoured to be strong enough to slay even the mighty gods that brought it into being."

"Wait really?! Then Azura, do you think we could…?" Corrin looked to Azura, waiting for a response.

Azura then joined Sakura in her tears, mouth momentarily opened and quickly shut, nodding slowly and looking as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"This is all I know of the subject though," Fuga continued, "and so if you wish to learn more you must seek out another. The Archduke of Izumo is said to be a descendant of the gods themselves, and I am sure he is more informed than I am. Seek him out, and I am sure you will find the answers you are looking for."

"Thank you, Fuga," Azura said, collecting herself. "I hope that you can explain our actions to your tribe, but we must be off now. It is imperative that we reach Izumo as soon as possible."

Fuga then waved, and Corrin's group started on their way. They were stopped, however, by the voice of a boy.

"Wait! Don't go just yet. I must accompany you. You may encounter more opposition on your way there, and I know my presence will be a great aid to you. Chieftain Fuga, may I accompany Corrin and her group on the rest of their journey? You surely saw how greatly I defended your position during their attack."

'How greatly…? You were defeated twice, kid! But we could really use a mage. Please say yes, Fuga. Please say yes.'

"I'm sure you will be a great help, Hayato. Just promise me you will be careful, all right?" Fuga said, ruffling the young diviner's hair.

Hayato grumbled about not being a kid, and how he was too old to get his hair ruffled, and that Fuga didn't need to tell him to be careful, and whatnot, and the old men let out a bellowing laugh.

Corrin and Azura thanked Fuga once again for the information, and she and her companions set out for Izumo (which they were going to anyway, but who cared. Someone new had told them to go, after all).

They stopped however, at one final voice calling out to them.

"I wish you luck, good sirs and mams, on your journey ahead!" it cheered, causing Robin to turn.

One of the men getting healed had shot up to say his words, and with a step forward he tripped on a stone lodged out of the path in the fighting and slammed into the floor. It was the same man who Corrin had knocked off the platform and was carried by the wind, faceplanting into the platform he had landed on.

"Bwahahahahahahahahahah! Ahahahhahahahah!" Robin burst out, falling to the floor once again.

"Robin! That's rude!" Azura scolded, horrified.

"Oh come _on_! It isn't even that funny!" Jakob cried, throwing up his hands in frustration.

"Ahahahhhahahahah!" Robin continued. It was like Sumia, but funnier. And he just couldn't help himself.

'Man, I wonder if Izumo is going to be as fun as this,' Robin thought, wiping a year from his eye while laughing so hard the tribalists were starting to back away.

Gunter joined them, and the group walked off, leaving Robin with one hand on the ground laughing so hard even Fuga looked concerned.

He could join them later. For now, he was going to finish his laugh about the good fun of someone injuring themself and breaking their own nose because of it.

* * *

 **Author's Note: There it is! I hope you liked it. I wrote it all in the last three days. Except the first part, but I didn't actually take that word for word. Actually, I only glanced at it and made it three times as long as the paper version, so there was no reason to wait for the paper to write... On another note, I listen to really random things while I write, but for a while I was listening to TPR's World of Ruin: Melancholy Music From Final Fantasy VI, which I realy recommend you check out. All of TPR's stuff is amazing, really. Also, if you haven't checked out my profile you probably don't know, but I'm the biggest FF fan. I've played many of the games (though I'm still working on finishing them all), have some merchandise, and even went to a special FF symphony. H** **ironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the FF series, was there! It was amazing. Though this is a different fandom, so I'll shut up about that. But yeah, you should check out TPR. Maybe not actually _watch_ the video, as it includes footage from FFVI, but just listen to it in the background. Until next time.**

 **Oh! And man was writing this chapter hard just based on the fact that I kept writing "Fuma" instead of "Fuga." You see, there's this manga I love called X (aka X/1999), and one of the main characters is named Fuma (or Fuuma. so I also keep writing Fuuga). The _main_ character is actually named Kamui, too. You guys should check that out too. I recommend you read Tokyo Babylon first, but it isn't required. I'm actually scanlating all of the Tokyo Babylon manga, since the current scans suck. I've finished the first two volumes so far... I have way too many projects for the amount of free time I have in my life.**

 **Originally published September 18, 2016.**

 **Eruran out.**


	7. Robin's Brutal Training & A Cruel Jester

**Author's Note: Ha ha! Got this one out on time (hopefully. I'm actually on a plane on September 30th as of the time I'm writing this note and have no service. Happy last day of September 2016). I run on a once every 14 days update schedule. So this ended up pretty long. Believe it or not, I was actually struggling to make it reach the 8,000 mark, even when I got to the 7,000. You see, I was aiming to split the chapter at a part you'll see later, so I was trying to get there. Well I ended up adding in a story element I hadn't originally considered because I was listening to this one song, and added in 5 sentences at the beginning and 3 or 4 here and there, and it ended up at just over 9,000 words.**

 **Also wow! 100 favorites and 160 follows! Thank you all for reading, but** **I don't like long intro notes, so I'll cut it off here. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Haaaah. Haaah. Haaaaaaaa-" Hana panted, running past Corrin's tree house.

"C-Come on Hana. If… if you can't finish 30 laps, then there's no w-way you can pro… protect Lady Sakura. Nothing… less than… perfection… will do. Although, I guess it's acceptable… if _y-you_ aren't perfect…" Subaki got out through clenched teeth, jogging ahead of his fellow retainer.

"St-stop arguing, you… two… It's f-fine.. r… rea-…. -eally," Sakura breathed, a few meters in front of the two, jogging so slow she probably could have fast-walked faster than she was going. Though physically ahead, she was technically a few laps behind the two, but pushing through it the best she could.

Her retainers quieted at the princess's words, and then both sped up to catch up with their charge. Then they started in a compliment competition, Subaki trying to get in fancy, long winded praises to best Hana's short but loud ones. Sakura giggled slightly at their antics, but being so tired it came out as more of a stifled cough, driving her retainers to shower her with cries of concern instead. In the end, Subaki and Hana just ended up more out of breath than the princess. It was both funny and sad, if you asked Robin.

During the battle against the wind tribe, Robin really hadn't been joking when considering putting the members of Corrin's army to the track. It wouldn't hurt any of them, and while some needed it more than others, all of them could work on stamina.

Gunter was going at a fine pace not too far away, a stern expression on his face and without armor, and Jakob was rushing trying to get ahead of him, cursing under his breath. Corrin on the other hand was trying and failing to keep up with either of them. Just ahead of her was Kaze, giving her quiet words of motivation, sweating but not profusely. Azura was on the other end of the castle, still behind the others, but on the same lap as Sakura and thus technically ahead of her fellow princess. Hayato… Robin wasn't sure what lap he was on, but the boy was certainly doing his best. Though with his jaw and nose clamped so tightly, Robin wasn't sure how well Hayato could be breathing. Hopefully enough that he wouldn't pass out.

Robin had taken off his coat, and was currently on lap 29, first place belonging to him. He wasn't kidding about making the group run. They really needed it. And he hadn't actually said they needed to _run_ 30 laps. He just said that they should attempt to complete them as fast as possible. A couple times Azura, Sakura, Hayato, Corrin, and Kaze by extension had decided to walk part of a lap to catch their breaths, and that was fine with Robin. Hana, though, had decided to sprint the first few laps, leaving her lagging afterward. Subaki hadn't at the beginning, but once Hana gained considerable distance on him he went even faster to catch up. Now the two of them were gripping their sides, obviously pained with cramps, but going strong. Gunter had just set out at a reasonable pace he never faltered from, slower than the others, but still putting him close to Sakura's retainers. Jakob in his little runs would sprint ahead of the older servant for a moment, lag behind for a few more, sprint ahead, and so on, keeping around the same pace if you averaged it out but slightly less efficient. And though Gunter was doing best in terms of not panting, it was obvious the old man was going to collapse the moment he finished. He had endurance, and Robin had to give it to him, but he wasn't sure the knight would be able to keep running until the end.

At this point Robin had reached the last stretch of his final lap, when he realized he had no idea where Rinkah was. Looking toward the finish line, he realized she was gripping the wall, exhausted, but with a triumphant look on her face.

"Wait a minute…"

When he reached the end, Rinkah looked up, and smiled at him. "Nice to see you, number two."

"... Oh come on! This is so unfair," Robin whined, plopping down on the ground as Rinkah attempted to straighten up.

"What isn't fair? Me being in _better shape than you_? You being an _overconfident puny kid_ who can't even keep up with the newcomer? Huh? Huh?!" Rinkah's jabs hurt Robin's pride, and he pouted hard and long.

He had held back for crying out loud! He could have run a little faster, he just didn't want to demotivate everyone by crushing them. Yep. That was totally it. It wasn't like he wasn't as good as Rinkah. The girl may have had a six pack, but he… He… was not in terrible shape. His six pack hadn't yet come in, but maybe he just didn't have it in his blood. Rinkah probably came from a long line of body builders, while he had come from Validar who was practically a stretched out twig. So she probably just got better results from the same effort. Because he didn't lose based on ability. No way. No way at all.

Robin sighed and fell back, staring at the clouds above. He had woken everyone up for their run at dawn, and it was probably around 8 A.M. by this point. They had had a small breakfast, and had taken some time to wake up (more than he wanted. They were an army, and they have to get used to quickly rising and prepping in case of an ambush or if they were ever in a hurry) before finally starting. As much as Robin enjoyed sleeping in, he also loved the sight of the world in the morning. There were some flowers here and there on the castle grounds, and grass all over. When he had gotten up, they were all covered with dew, and the air just smelled of nature. By noon, that smell and just pure, calming feeling was gone. So he didn't mind losing a few hours if it meant experiencing that. Some of the others did, but too bad for them.

As he turned to his side, white covered his vision. Reaching up, he brushed his hair back, causing it to stay out of the way momentarily before resuming its earlier position. Before the fight with Grima, the Shepherds had been so focused on preparing and he so stressed out that his personal upkeep and subsequently haircuts ended up extremely low on his list of priorities. Chrom even ended up delivering Robin's meals a few times as the tactician sat cooped up in his tent planning. He was trying to fight a dragon commonly referred to as a dark god, that even Naga could not defeat without their aid; to think of some way to not get everyone killed, despite the fact that the enemy could conjure up endless amounts of the undead; to come up with some way he could convince Chrom not to use Falchion to deal the final blow, but to leave it to Robin. Even before the blue haired prince had realized it, Robin had come to understand just what Naga was implying about Grima's defeat. And he knew there was no way Chrom would just let him go through with it.

Robin kept telling himself to stop reminiscing, but it was really hard. He missed the Shepherds. He missed his best friend. He missed...

"Robin? It's time to wake up. Come on, wakey wakey," Azura whispered, gently shaking the man awake.

She was leaning over him, her blue locks draping over the tactician. She was breathing heavily and sweating, and blocking out the rest of his vision.

"Hmm?" He hummed groggily, propping himself up with one hand and looking around. Sakura was still running, with Hana and Subaki beside her, but no one else other than Azura was in sight.

"Are you feeling okay? I'm sorry for waking you, but I figured you would be upset with yourself if you slept all day, so I thought I'd get you up. I just finished my run, and Sakura is on her final lap. Corrin insisted on Jakob teaching her to cook, so she's in the kitchen with him making some lunch. Or would it be breakfast? It's a bit too early to be lunch. Anyway, Hayato is also inside waiting for them to finish, Kaze and Rinkah are washing up since we're all soaked after running for so long, and Gunter is getting together the supplies. I think that's all. Do you want to know anything else?" Azura responded, taking a seat on the ground next to Robin, chest moving up and down as she took in a breath.

She had an empty glass that had probably once contained water beside her, and Robin could see a few more sitting in the steps to her side. Jakob had likely filled and moved them there when he finished his jog. At Corrin's request, though, or chances are he wouldn't have so much as raised a finger. Sometimes Robin wanted to flick the man for being so two faced. It was his thing, though, and Robin tried not to give in to those kinds of urges.

Azura always had such a serene look about her. As she sat, her long hair pooled around her, swaying slightly in the breeze. She turned her head away from Robin, once more going to stare off into the distance, and Robin didn't know if he should envy her or feel bad. She always seemed so calm. It could have been because she was a generally collected person, who was good at dealing with whatever came her way, but… it was probably because of the whole deal with Valla. The hope in her eyes when Fuga mentioned the Yato's supposed ability to defeat the gods was such a drastic turn from Azura's normal expression that it had even made Robin feel positive. That was probably the only time he had ever seen her genuinely smile, if he was being honest.

Sakura finished, as evidenced by cheers from Hana and Subaki, and the girl staggered over to the water. Both Robin and Azura gave her small greetings which she responded to with a wave as she gulped down the water on the steps, while Hana and Subaki bickered about who was more motivational. Once she was finished, Hana promptly dragged Sakura away toward the hot spring that had appeared overnight for a "super duper nice relaxing soak," and Subaki glided off to go tend to his pegasus.

Now alone with Azura, Robin took the chance to speak up.

"Azura, if you don't mind me asking - actually, even if you do mind, because it's central to our cause that I know - what does your singing do to you? And don't try to shrug it off. You're completely wiped after reinvigorating a few people, and I know it isn't just simple exhaustion or a result of being out of breath from having to sing without breathing back in."

Azura was shocked by his words, looking at him for a short moment before turning away. "It.. It is nothing. You may not think it is just a result of me being out of shape, but it really is. You saw me today. I was in second to last place, only ahead of Sakura because I'm taller and have longer legs. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I just… I just need to improve. That's all it is. Really…" The girl trailed off, sending her words out into the distance and not toward Robin. That way she wouldn't have to face his eyes. She probably figured that if he couldn't see her face he couldn't be certain of whether or not she was lying. And technically, she was right. But that didn't stop Robin from continuing his questions.

"Azura, this isn't just for my sake. It's for the sake of all of us. It's for the sake of Corrin. Me knowing what's wrong is for _you_. It isn't something small, no matter how hard you may try to make it appear so. So please, at least give me a hint."

Azura swallowed hard, and finally turned to look Robin in the eyes. "I can't give you the full explanation because of our location, but I will tell you that which I am able. When I sing, it takes something out of me. Traditional magic users like mages and diviners typically use tomes or scrolls to channel their magic, right? Well, When I sing, I don't. Sometimes I use my pendant, when I sing in battle, sometimes I don't and it's just a plain harmless song. But when I do, I must pay.

"I don't use magic, and I've only witnessed short battles, so I can't say for sure, but from what I understand mages must pay a price as well. Their spells alter their environment, so they may pay in mana, which is also gathered from the environment and channeled through themselves. They will eventually grow tired from constant channeling, and though they still have tomes or other catalysts which they can utilize, reach a point at which they can no longer cast. They reach a point that they have run out of the personal mana required to manipulate that of the environment to their own accord.

"But when I sing, I do not do anything to the world around me. I do not suddenly cause fire, or a tiger spirit formed from magic to appear. I do something to the people I aid. I reinvigorate them. I add to their life force, giving their own spirit the power to continue on despite any intense exertion and pressures they have pushed through already. And for that… I have to pay with my own. Magic is about using your inner mana to manipulate the mana of the air. My singing is about using my own life force to grant life and energy to those I aid. A single instance really shouldn't tire me out so much, but it's been so long since I was required to that the toll from the last few days finally stacked up and got to me.

"I am truly sorry for my silence, but I ask that you do not repeat what you have just heard to anyone else in this army. Plan accordingly and come up with excuses if you must, but I do not wish to add to their troubles. Please. I will do anything you request, just… don't tell them. Especially not Corrin. She's trying so hard, and I don't want to burden her any further."

Azura had dropped her eyes once again, and was staring at the ground, gripping the grass so tightly some of it was being uprooted by her fingers. She really was tense. So, Robin placed his hands on her own, pushing down her fingers so she would relax a bit. At the contact, Azura smiled, and Robin looked directly at her, no intentional, but a likely hard, expression on his face.

"Azura. Trust me, I will hold your words. But I do ask that you tell me things a little earlier, and that you be careful. You're important, loved, and not only a great asset to this army but a wonderful person who I'm honored to have met. Take care of yourself, okay? I'll try to work our strategies so you aren't constantly singing, but if abstaining from doing so for too long makes the repercussions worse, then I won't completely eliminate it. Does that sound okay?" By the end of his words, Robin was giving his companion a weak smile, which Azura responded to with one of her own.

"I will. But on one condition," she said.

"What?" Robin asked, blinking. He moved out of his sideways half-lying-down position into a cross-legged one

Azura then moved out of her position, much the same as his original, into one with her legs beneath her. Something that required some ankle flexibility that Robin wasn't sure he had.

"Get some more sleep. It wouldn't do for you to drift into the realm of unconsciousness as soon as you stop fighting people in a battle."

"H-hey, it was just once! And there's no way I would do that in battle. It won't happen again. I won't allow it!" Robin scoffed, standing up to defend himself.

Of course, standing quickly from a cross-legged position wasn't exactly easy, and Robin tripped as his legs got tangled up in themselves. Azura began to giggle, and Robin grumbled as he picked up his coat from the ground next to him. Speaking of which…

"Who put my coat over me while I was sleeping?"

"I did. You fell asleep while I was still running, but you were close enough to the path and your coat close enough to you that I decided it wouldn't be too much trouble to cover you with it. After all, a sleeping person needs a blanket, do they not? I do know some people prefer to sleep with their capes, and cloaks are close enough are they not? I once read the chronicle of a young ranger who declared that as long as they had their cape, they could sleep just about anywhere. I remember reading it with Takumi and Sakura back in the capital, when I first moved in. Takumi has never trusted me, but in that instance we were all cooped up in one of the side rooms avoiding some terrible royal party, and decided to read a book together. Afterward, we tied up a few blankets to serve as capes for the three of us, and snuck out the back to play with them. It was nighttime by the time someone came out to collect us, and though Sakura and I went back in, Takumi was having so much fun he didn't want to. Eventually Queen Mikoto herself came out to bring him in, but he still didn't want to go back to his room. To get him to come join us, she asked him if he was sure he wanted to stay outside, and not go back in where he could sleep in a nice comfy bed. His response, which was said in the cutest and most stubborn voice that a child his age could make, was 'as long as I've got my cape, I can sleep just about anywhere! I don't need a big bed! I'll stay out here for the night!' right out of the book we had been reading together.

"Queen Mikoto gave a sweet smile and let him stay outside. All the same, he came in anyway. The moon was empty that night, and the outside of the castle went dark as the townspeople and other members of the castle went to bed and blew out their candles, turning off all the lights in the area. Mikoto must have placed ninja and other guards all around Takumi's playplace, but he ran in a short hour later, scared as can be. Mikoto just gave a quiet laugh as she pressed Takumi further into her dress, and invited him to stay with her for the night. He refused at first, but when Mikoto said that she was a bit scared of the dark night and thought he could protect her from it, he immediately changed his mind and went with her.

"I was watching from behind the corner, and thought I hadn't been seen, but as the two moved to leave, Queen Mikoto turned to me and winked, well aware of my presence. I rushed to bed after, the other members of the Hoshidan family asleep and no one else willing to listen to me. The next day Takumi was back to cursing my existence, but he was a little closer to Mikoto than before. Though I never met her, from what I understand Takumi was close to his mother before she died, and didn't take too kindly to the new woman taking her place. By the time she died, however, Takumi respected her more than I could ever dream of him even acknowledging me. He must have been crushed by her passing… I hope he doesn't blame Corrin too much, since she was the one whose blade led to the Queen's death…"

Azura's story was long but sweet, and Robin wasn't sure how to respond.

He didn't get the chance to even if he did have something, though, because Corrin's voice could be heard calling from the direction of the mess hall.

"Aaaazuraaaa! Aaaazura! Where are y- oh there you are! C'mon, let's go to the hot spring and wash up before we eat. It'll feel super nice, I'm sure!" the excitable girl beamed, pulling Azura to her feet. The position the blue haired girl was in was much easier to rise from than the one Robin had been in, and he found himself considering practicing sitting that way in private so he wouldn't embarrass himself again.

"Hey Corrin! Do you guys have a shower or any sort of facilities someone could use to clean up other than the hot springs?" he questioned, standing with the two.

Corrin blinked, before giving her response. "You know, I have no idea. Why don't you ask Lilith? She knows the full layout of this place. And if there isn't one, she can probably just make one. Anyway, I'll see you in the mess hall!"

With that, Corrin ran off, dragging the poor Azura whose legs clearly had yet to recover from the run behind her. Corrin had already changed out of her armor into a bathing suit, and paused slightly to shove one into Azura's free hand. She also had a towel wrapped around her waist, which didn't seem like the best decision. If she had yet to go the the hot springs, and there was no other place to clean off, then she was probably still sweaty, and would just be getting her towel dirty. And if the hot spring was the only place to clean up, did that mean Kaze and Rinkah were in there together? The one time Robin had walked into while there was a girl in the there really he had been chased out. Clearly Kazemi was some sort of ladies' man. Robin would let them be, however, and got up to go in the other direction.

"I think I'll skip on visiting Lilith. She still doesn't like me. Maybe I'll dive in the jade pool so I don't feel so sticky. I could even get some good ore out of it, so I don't see why not," Robin said to himself, walking over to the pool. He stripped down to just his underclothes and gloves, checked to make sure no one was in sight, and hopped in.

He found two pieces of jade in the waters, and threw them to the side of the pool when he got up for air. He quickly rubbed at his skin to get off all the dried sweat that probably made him reek, and then popped out of the pool as fast as he could. It was freezing, and he didn't want to catch a cold from not wanting to wait for the hot springs. Gathering up his stuff and attempting not to press it against his wet body, he sprinted to his room, where he would change into some nice, dry clothing, and be able to put his nice warm coat once again.

The walk to Izumo was relatively silent, with no traveling companies around this time to transport the group, and thus no new characters to talk to. The silence was wonderful if you asked Robin. But, it wasn't about what he liked at the moment. He needed to start building the relationships of the members of Corrin's army. So, when they were roughly 3 or 4 kilometers away from their destination, Robin started to grab people by the shoulders. Starting with Hana, he moved her over to Azura. Next was Subaki, pushed toward Corrin, and then Rinkah, set to Kaze's side. Finally, he put Hayato and Sakura next to each other, leaving himself with Jakob. The Jakob-trust-o-meter would be filled if it was the last thing he did. Gunter could be alone, for all he cared. The old man was at the back, anyway, and needed to be undistracted to properly guard them from surprise back attacks.

"So. Jakob-" Robin began, before being cut off.

"I don't care whatever it is you have to say. I should be at Lady Corrin's side right now, not yours," the butler snapped, side eyeing his partner and sending a glance to Corrin.

"Well, regardless of whether or not you care about what I have to say, I'm going to talk about some stuff. Feel free to respond. If you don't, then at least you'll be a little more familiar with my voice."

Robin then rambled on about the various things he had learned about Canta, with Jakob occasionally commenting on something he recognized or had heard differently of. As they got closer, Jakob opened up more and more, making Robin smile. The butler still wasn't very happy, but by the time Izumo was in sight they were having an actual two-sided conversation.

Bird songs layered over each other the closer Corrin's army got to Izumo, and by the time they could see the castle it sounded like there were at least a hundred different songs going at once. By description, it was terrible. But to be there was something else. Though every song was sung at a different pitch, tempo, melody, and time than all the others, somehow they came together to make the most beautiful symphony. Combined with a nearby waterfall, and the gentle winds that made the leaves of nearby trees shake ever so slightly, practically vibrating in the breeze, the end of their journey was one filled with music. It was serene.

Ylisse was a very beautiful land and Arit just as wonderful, but nowhere had Robin heard such a lovely expression of nature. When approaching Naga's temple, one of the things Robin had noticed was how silent it was. Like everything was respecting the Goddess within, not making a sound as to keep from interrupting her should Naga open her mouth to speak. Sure, it was beautiful. That was undeniable. But the later of wonder added on by the symphony of sounds leading up to Izumo was something else.

Small streams and ponds dotted the group's path, making them frequently have to go around in a way that took up more time than would have to go directly across. In some cases it was absolutely necessary, and crossing was not possible (or at least not possible without getting soaked to a point no one really felt like being), but in others it was just a choice. The Hoshidans had a great respect for nature according to Sakura and Kaze, and even they would go around the water rather than disturb it in any sort of damaging way. So, the group wasn't exactly in a rush, as they had to have been pretty far ahead of any pursuers they might have had, and those pursuers would take the long route too.

No one really minded going around either. Hayato grumbled about it as if to disapprove of their childish admiration of plain old water, but whenever Robin turned his head he could see the sparkle in the boy's eyes, being one from a desert where the current waters were foreign. Tharja and Henry had always had slight (or extreme in the case of the latter, because everything he did was all out) looks of amazement when going out toward watery lands. At the Mila Tree, Tharja had just about dropped her tome seeing the giant plant and all the water gently lapping at its roots. Henry, surprisingly enough, had been 100% serious. He stood completely still, staring at the canopy above, and said nothing for half a minute or so, before finally uttering a surprising phrase. "Sometimes, I wish I had been born Ylissan. Then I could have had something like this. Maybe Naga's blessing could even revive Plegia, if we haven't sinned so much she's completely given up on us." He then continued on, jovial like always, dodging any questions people had for him about what he meant by his statement, or whether he was serious or not. Why someone would ask if Henry had been serious about that statement Robin had no clue, because Henry had been so deep in that moment that Robin could almost _feel_ a sense of longing emanating from the guy.

"Woah…" Hana gasped, tilting her head up to set her gaze on the giant building that had finally entered their sight.

"So _that's_ the central palace of Izumo… it's even more amazing than I imagined. Just standing here makes me feel calm," echoed Corrin, equally awed.

"It is impressive, isn't it. That feeling of calm isn't something isolated to you either. It's probably part of the reason Izumo had stayed neutral so long. Anyone coming here just loses the will to fight. In a way, that is. Some people are so corrupt that even Izumo can't bring peace to their souls," Azura said, eyes locked on to the palace above.

"Where did you hear about the palace, Corrin? Is it so famous to even be known in Nohr?" Robin asked.

"Not really. Azura mentioned it earlier, so I've spent the whole trek imagining what it would be like. It's way beyond anything I came up with. Though maybe that's just me, the girl who spent the entire span of her memory trapped in a fortress, speaking. Maybe Jakob would have a different response?"

The butler gave a negative affirmation, and the group continued on to the palace. Eventually damp ground and soft dirt pathways turned into a route of stone, and Robin's feet clicked as they hit the solid surface. He quite liked the noise, if he was being honest, and stepped heel-toe, heel-toe very firmly until Gunter's glare made him stop. It was interesting, someone other than Jakob sending a piercing gaze at a member of the group. Robin stopped though, not wanting to make anyone hate him, and kept walking. It wasn't as if Gunter was much better either, his horse clopping as it was. Still, until they reached the village before the palace, only the sounds of Gunter's horse and the quiet pattering of cloth and bare feet could be heard.

Corrin and Azura seemed much happier on the stone, as though a few pebbles were on the path, it was much smoother than the ground the group had traveled on prior. With no shoes, Azura and Corrin both occasionally jolted as they stepped on some sharp rock stuck in the ground or some muddy section. Now Jakob stood in front of the two, kicking any loose pieces of gravel away. Why the two girls wore no shoes, especially when they went on battlegrounds, was far beyond Robin. But if one of them had to be healed because they sliced their toe on some sharp thing in the ground or burnt their foot walking on hot rocks, he would personally buy them at least 3 pairs of shoes and 7 pairs of socks each.

Before the palace the group would be passing through a small town, so the tactician planned on subtly guiding them to some shoe store inside and nudging the princesses in, mentioning how much he loved the warm fuzzy feeling of socks and the slight hugging compression of shoes on his feet. Maybe that would convince them. But would it be too obvious? Probably not. Well, probably not for Corrin. Azura might catch on, but with some clever maneuvering Robin could keep her suspicions away. Hopefully.

At the entrance to the town Robin noticed a small crowd of people, and led Corrin's group in their approach.

"Ah, ah, ah! Of course we can silly girl! Why don't we just mosey on over to- Oh, now who are _you_ guys? I haven't seen you around before!" one of the men in the middle said, spreading his arms and sauntering toward them.

The crowd around him was made up of seven or eight villagers, plus a few armed men who looked none too happy about the commotion. All of the villagers looked up at the speaker with admiration. The young woman who he had spoken to looked about ready to faint from the attention, shaking in awe of being granted the man's words. Or something like that.

His robes swishing from side to side, the man reached the group and clasped his hands together.

"Now wait a diddly-darn minute! I haven't seen you around these parts before! So, who are you?" he asked, leaning in on Corrin's face.

"M-me? Well, my name's Corrin, and these are my friends. Right now we're looking for a place to stay while-" Corrin was cut off as the man took a step back and raised one hand to his mouth, the sleeve dropping down.

"Oh that's super cool! I've heard about you, ya know. You're such a _celebrity_ nowadays! Man, who would'da thought I was going to meet a famous person, and I didn't even have to leave my own kingdom for it. Is this _my_ lucky day!" giggled the strange man. He kept stressing random words in an over the top fashion, and it was starting to get on Robin's nerves. "Oh! I should introduce myself to you shouldn't I? Well then. _I_ am the great Archduke Izana, descendant of the gods, heir of their divine bloodline, and keeper of the prophecies. And a bunch of other things, but those are super boring so I won't bother to tell you. Except for one! And it's the super most important of all! I, wouldn't you know it, am the winner of the best hair award five times running. Or was it six… Let's go with six, that sounds better. And of course you can stay, Corry! Kick back, relax, and enjoy your time in great ol' Izumo!"

"Oh, uh, thanks for the… warm welcome." Corrin said, backing away slightly.

Izana grabbed her hands and shook them fiercely up and down while nodding, stalling her. He then tried to strike up a conversation with Kaze, who looked as uncomfortable as Robin felt. The ninja was polite though, and answered every question the archduke asked of him. Some of the townspeople had begun to wander back into their houses, though the one Izana had spoken to and two others who looked related to her remained. The guards seemed slightly disturbed by their charge's actions, and edged closer to Corrin's group.

"Is this really how a royal is supposed to act? He's so… odd. Impolite. Folksy. I mean, you and Azura are really nice and all, but the archduke is so…" Hayato whispered toward Sakura, unsure of what he was witnessing.

Sakura shook her head fiercely and shrugged when she was done, equally astounded by Izana's overly familiar behavior.

It didn't go in accordance with what Robin knew of Hoshido, so he was equally confused by the man who had so readily introduced himself. Fuga, though initially hostile, was cautious when dealing with Corrin's army, even when he became a little more friendly following his defeat. From Azura and Sakura's descriptions, the Queen and higher classes of Hoshido also tended to be more reserved and polite, even with actual family. And Corrin plus her servants had described Nohr as the home of "keeping it to yourself," so Izana really was an oddity.

"The Seal of Whatchamacallit?" exclaimed the man himself, frowning and tilting his head excessively far to the side yet again.

"..." Kaze squinted at the archduke in suspicion before correcting him. "The Seal of Flames. We were told you would know something about it."

"Seal of Flames huh? Mmmm, nope! Not ringing a bell. It sounds so out of style and boring though. Like I said, me and boring things don't go together one teensy bit. So let's just skip it and go on to the feast! The food here is amazing, so you gotta come inside and try it!" Izana continued, taking Corrin by the hand and turning to run to the palace. Jakob stopped him though, gripping the archduke and digging the sharp points of his armored gloves into the man's hands to make him release Corrin.

"Look, you. Don't just drag Lady Corrin off without her permission. And stop dodging her questions. You must know _something,_ and I will not follow until you give us a clear answer. Stop changing topic. It is imperative to both our and your causes that we receive information on the existence of the Seal, so tell us, now." Jakob's grip tightened, and a small line of blood could be seen trailing down the archduke's pale hand.

A small commotion was heard, as the guards aimed their weapons at the group. Their grips seemed awkward though, as if they had never wielded the weapons they held before. The three villagers tensed. Obviously they had not expected a fight to come to their peaceful country, especially not when their ruler, the face of peace itself, came out to visit. Robin gestures to Kaze and Gunter to ready their weapons, knowing the two most experienced fighters would get his message. Only the ninja did, however, because Gunter was staring straight at Izana, not giving any attention to anything else in sight. Hayato saw Kaze move and raised his scroll, Rinkah continuing to bounce her club on her shoulder as she had been the entire time. Subaki moved Sakura behind his pegasus, and Hana moved to guard her other side.

"H-hey! I already told you that I don't know anything about the F- the Seal of Flames! Now unhand me you lowly butler!" Izana ripped his arm away, practically growling.

Gunter used the distraction to charge forward, pinning the archduke to the wall of the nearest house, the knight's lance catching the other's billowing sleeve.

"Shut up and reveal yourself, you coward. I know it's you, Zola. What are you doing in Izumo, and what have you done with the real archduke!?" the great knight roared, thrusting his weapon deeper into some poor villager's home.

The figure of the man previously known as Izana flickered at Gunter's words, melting away to reveal a smaller man with tight clothes which could thus not be trapped by the knight's lance without hitting some part of the imposter himself. With greasy blond hair, greying skin, a hunched back, long and curling fingernails, and large under eye bags, the man looked downright unhealthy. He was also very skittish. Free from Gunter's weapon, the man ran away behind his guards, who were also flickering and revealed to be Nohrian soldiers. He whispered something to one, and the soldier sprinted away, alerting a few other "guards" locating throughout the town who had also resumed their presumably regular Nohrian appearances. That began a chain of runners, and everyone with Corrin got into battle stances.

In front of Gunter, high on his horse, the man looked puny. He was also trembling, ducking behind a tall soldier supporting him. Gunter pulled his lance from the wall, and the man yelped, running his wrinkled hands together. The shaking man looked disgusting in his skin hugging bodysuit, complete with a cutout that displayed his nonexistent abs but protruding ribs, and jester-style hat that was covered in filth, especially where the definitely-not-white-anymore ball hung at the end. One of the soldiers pushed him forward, and the jester finally spoke as himself.

"Now now, then, Gunter. We're both servants of King Garon, aren't we? So let's just put down that pointy stick, and stop ruining my fun. And was my disguise really that bad? I thought it was perfect! Some of my own appearance must have shown through for you to know it was me… How unfortunate." Zola gave a coy smile, but dug his own nails into his skin, adding another line of blood to the one Jakob had caused.

"Nohr only has two mages that can pull off such wide scale illusions as you did: you, and Iago. Iago would never do such dangerous, involved, low work. He's more a man of the shadows. So, you were the only option."

Gunter moved to stab the mage, but he yelped again and pushed one of his soldiers forward, who took the end of Gunter's spear into his armor. It wasn't deep enough to pierce the man's skin, but the armor would no doubt need repairs the next chance the man got to do so.

"Pardon the interruption, but shouldn't we maybe be figuring out where the archduke and all his guards _are_? Whether they're slaughtered, or merely prisoners? I don't know this man, but he doesn't seem all that cold blooded, just easily manipulated, so I doubt he murdered them all. They're probably hidden somewhere, and I bet it would be a lot easier to get their location out of him than to waste time running around the entire palace and possibly nearby countryside," added Robin. The tactician put his hand on Gunter's right arm, and the old man pulled his lance back, causing the soldier stuck on it to stumble as the weapon was removed.

"Ahaha! Right you are! About the archduke and his little buddies being alive that is. But don't you dare call me easily manipulated. I'm no warm hearted fool. And speaking of warm, do you know what's warm? Fire is! Do you know what isn't? Ice! So, troops, let's burn out little friends here down! After all, both ice and fire burn if they're cold or hot enough!"

The man then threw a crystal on the ground, shattering it and revealing pre-drawn magic circles on the ground. As he disappeared, giant mounds of ice sprouted from the ground, taking his place. A frost and snow spread over the area, drowning out the screams of villagers both outside and inside their houses, trapped either in the cold mountains themselves, or inside their houses where they couldn't escape whatever Zola had planned. Corrin, Jakob, Robin, and Gunter had shot back from where they were, and stood with the rest of their group, trapped at the entrance to the town.

"Damnit!" Robin cursed, punching the ice in front of him. Then he cursed again, because though he was wearing gloves, throwing his fist at the solid wall of ice still really hurt. But instead of the wall remaining up as if to mock him (as most solid objects did when punched), the ice crumbled away, revealing… more ice. It was still a good revelation though, because it proved that the ice wasn't completely impossible to get past.

Corrin's army voiced their own curses and subsequent cries of astonishment at the quick turn of events, and Robin took a step back to regroup. Once again, he would have to try and think of some valid reason to get Gunter away from the battlefield. Last time he had a good explanation of "if he fights, there's a good chance he'll be seriously injured or die via falling into the desert sands from great heights." This time, though, the man's strength would be a great asset to the group, since he could probably break the ice with less trouble than the others. Still.

"Gunter, you go back through the last town, and check to see if there are any guards there. I don't want innocent villagers dying because we were too focused on moving forward," commanded Robin.

"Of course," the knight replied, kicking his horse and moving it away from the massive wall of ice.

The rest of the crew stood around, waiting for Robin's next direction.

"All of your weapons have unlimited uses, right?" he questioned, gently knocking the ice in front of him and feeling it crumble under the force of his touch.

"Except the festals and staffs, but otherwise yeah. Why wouldn't they?" Corrin was the one to answer, as she joined him in poking the giant cold mass that blocked their path, squealing when the cold material got on her hand.

"No reason. I just thought that maybe someone had a special weapon, and sometimes those wear out. I'm glad to hear you don't though. That helps us out a little." That was one of the nice things about Canta. He didn't have to worry about someone's weapon breaking mid battle and leaving them unarmed. Although thanks to Cordelia's frequent checks of the convoy and each person's stock that hardly ever happened even on Arit.

Robin wound up and kicked the ice, slamming his boot into the semi-solid mass around him. The ice went away, but not before sliding down in an avalanche and partially burying both him and Corrin. Robin's clothes were pretty thick, and his cloak had been reinforced as to be waterproof, so though he was slightly chilled he was fine. Corrin on the other hand was wearing no shoes and had a body covered in metal, so she started swimming in the slush to get out, stuttering as her teeth chattered. Robin almost laughed at her, but the girl's movement caused the ice around him to shift and flood into his boots, so he joined her in her escape and kept his silence not wanting to be a hypocrite. The crushed ice disappeared after a few seconds, dissolving into the air.

While Azura stood by with a smile and trying not to giggle and Sakura's retainers looked displeased with the situation, Sakura and Jakob held a conversation about staffs and staves, and festals or festal. Since there were no staves in Hoshido, Sakura was asking the only Nohrian healer which term was the right plural, given Robin and Corrin used two different ones. Jakob answered that both were right, and followed with the festal versus festal question.

Robin didn't really care, so he looked over to where Hayato was standing, a horrified yet amazed look on his face. The boy _was_ from the desert, so he had likely never seen snow or ice in that proportion before. Because of it, he'd be amazed by the new stuff. On the other hand, he was likely used to warm temperatures and the idea of having to walk through such cold slush was very unappealing.

"So, how are we going to go around this?" Azura finished her giggling, and took up her regular blank expression.

"Well technically we're going to be going _through_ it, not _around_ it." A frown from the songstress made Robin continue. "But first things first. We need to get an idea of just what kind of coverage we're dealing with, and if there are any pockets of troops around. Subaki, can you do a quick fly around? Come back immediately if you spot any archers, but try to stay high up so you don't have to worry about it."

The pegasus knight nodded and pet his mount's main, rising up and gliding over the frozen town. Somehow, just somehow, Subaki's eerie perfection passed onto the pegasus too. And it was seriously creeping Robin out. Not only did the guy always have a lazy, bright white smile on his face and hair that always looked windswept yet not messy, but so did his pegasus. And it was really hard to make a braided mane both pretty and windswept. Maybe he promised his firstborn to some dark god of perfection or something. There was no way that was just natural. Cordelia was so much better.

No one aimed at Subaki while he was flying, so by Robin's guess Zola either had no archers in his crew, or wasn't aiming to kill them. Since he didn't attack when he had the chance earlier, it was likely he was only there to stall them. Robin would play along though. Hopefully that would teach Zola, and by extension Garon, a lesson. Corrin and her troops were not to be messed with. They would systematically defeat every single troop in their path. After all, the town had to have multiple streets leading to the palace, so for efficiency's sake Robin could just lead everyone in one direction. But efficiency wasn't the point. Making everyone realize Corrin truly believed in what she was doing was.

When Subaki touched down, he was clearly upset. By his report, the entire town was frozen over. It wasn't just the ones nearest Robin who had been trapped in their homes by the ice. Subaki could hardly see the roofs of some places because of how far the cover went, and all the villagers had been stuck in their houses There wasn't a single foot of open space until the area Zola stood in with his troops, which Subaki hadn't gotten very close to in fear of getting hit by the mage.

What angered Robin was not that Zola had put up such an effective delaying agent to stop them - it was that he had involved so many innocent people who hadn't done a damn thing to deserve it. They were bowing to the man while he held his illusion up, and did nothing to stop him once he revealed himself. Their immobility may have been out of shock, but they still did nothing to incur the jester's wrath. And worst of all… Subaki's report went beyond people being trapped in their houses. He said that all over the town, you could see blurry limbs from where they were stuck in the frozen sea. Some were long and lanky, belonging to grown men and women, but some were short and covered in baby fat, obviously belonging to a child. Others were twisted and wrinkled, the arms and legs of an elder. Most horrifying of all, every once in a while, he could see the screaming face of a person trapped underneath, morphed into an expression of fear and completely unmoving. And those were just the ones he could see, for the ice was too thick in some places to see down more than a few inches.

That meant Robin would have to change his plans.

There were also some places with only a thin cover of ice and snow, that seemed hollow inside. Within were the distorted shapes of humans, dark blobs that held things silver and shiny. Zola's troops, in all likelihood, standing in wait for Corrin's approach. Dispersed throughout the village, they'd be hard to account for. And Robin needed to go as fast as possible, which required sending out several teams in as many directions as he could. Because of it, as great as using Subaki to find the troops so Robin could coordinate attacks would be, it just wasn't an option.

"So that's how he's going to play it, huh?" mumbled Robin, face dark.

He addressed the group again, this time in a much more serious tone. "I don't know whether or not you've heard of this thing I call Frostbite, or another called Hypothermia, but basically it's when one stays in the cold too long and gets hurt from it. If it isn't treated right away, then it can lead to a need for amputation, or even death. Someone can get either even if they're wearing heavy gear in a snowy place. These villagers are encased in ice, and are dressed in thin and short clothes for a hot day. Hitting the ice will break it off. So, I need everyone to grab something solid, and go as fast as possible. Otherwise, we will be wading through not only a large amount of Zola's troops, but a sea of dead bodies.

"Hayato, your scroll use will be of great use to us in the coming future, but for now borrow one of Rinkah's clubs and get smacking. Sakura, same to you. Even if you don't think you'll be any help, or you're worried your arms are weak, it doesn't matter. Take one of Hana's katana. Kaze, as great as shuriken are, they won't be of any help in smashing ice. Do you know how to hold a naginata? Good. Borrow one from Subaki. Jakob… Corrin, you still have that armorslayer, don't you? Give it to your butler. You, Rinkah, Subaki, and Hana are fine with your weapons. We have vulneraries to heal ourselves, so keep whacking until someone is aiming at your heads. Vulneraries won't help anyone in this mass in front of us right now.

"Does everyone understand what I'm saying?" Robin concluded his grim orders, and everyone nodded.

"But first… leave me a bit space right over there," Robin said, motioning to an area to their left. "Stay out of my way. I'm going to be blowing it up, and I don't want to hit anyone unnecessary in the process."

As much as Robin was trying to hold back and as much as he was trying to avoid suspicions about his skill… there were lives on the line now. Lives he wasn't willing to throw away.

"But what about the people inside the ice? If you just blow it up then they'll be hit too! What if they get hurt? And if we wait so long to hit back, it'll be harder to pull our punches. I'm not sure I can avoid slicing someone's throat or slashing someone's chest if they jump me." Hana voiced, voice quieting as she looked away at the end of her words.

"Those are risks we'll have to take." Robin decreed.

"But I thought you said we could avoid-" Corrin's outburst was interrupted by Robin's voice, this time leaving no room for argument.

"I said we could _try_ to avoid killing anyone. That we could _attempt_ to finish this war with no deaths on our hands. But wasn't that broken yesterday? On the endless staircase when we felled the tribalist? Maybe it wasn't intentional. But it's already impossible to complete this war without anyone losing their life. You don't have to go around hacking down everyone in sight, but I don't want to find out that any innocent people died or were permanently injured because you spent spent an extra two minutes fighting murderers. Because they are. These people knew what was going to happen; that Zola was going to freeze the town. They knew people would likely- that people _are_ going to die in the process. And I can promise you these aren't the first deaths they've been responsible for. So go ahead and be as careful as possible. Just realize that any dallying on your part could mean someone else will never get the chance to again."

With that, Robin faced the ice he had pointed to and began to charge his lightning tome, preparing to push it to its limits to cast a spell side enough to blast away a good chunk of the frozen mass in front of him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So you may wonder why I chose 30 laps. It's because I came up with a random number. But when doing some math, I decided it was reasonable. Checking my My Castle, I decided that if you ran along the castle walls and around the top stairs but went into the bottom portion, you'd have to cross 142 units of space. Now each space is about the size of a character, but there's a lot of variance in character size and it isn't exact, so I decided to use 6 feet as the height of 1. 142×6ft=852ft. Then I put in the 30 laps, and 852ft×=25,560ft. I then put that in the Google feet to miles converter, and got 4.8 something miles. Since the characters wouldn't always be** _ **exactly**_ **on the walls and would go a little bit extra on curves, that's basically 5 miles traveled.**

 **Now, even if you go really, really slowly 5 miles is a work out and for people who don't regularly exercise like Sakura, she'd have to walk some of it. And as for, say, Hana, if she's going fast then 5 miles will also be a challenge, and she's obviously going to push herself to the limit and go as quickly as possible.**

 **As for the music I was listening to at the end, and quite frankly still am, it's the into to the second Tokyo Babylon OVA. The soundtrack is unreleased so it has no name, but it's pretty good. I won't spoil exactly what goes on (well anything that happens after the first like 3 minutes), but basically both episodes involve someone getting murdered. They're also mysteries, so you get this mysterious murder music going, inspiring me to write everything after Subaki flies over the frozen town. I had originally cut the chapter there, but… Oh man. The chapters 9,500 words now. 500 words of AN is too long, so I'm done. Thanks for reading.**

 **Oh, and very last note. You know how I said this would be like 200,000 words long? Well since I'm on this track of splitting chapters into 2 8,000 word segments, that might turn into like 360,000 words. Hopefully I will stay interested and have ideas for that long. Originally published October 1, 2016.**

 **Word count pre revision, no AN: 9,538**

 **Eruran out.**


	8. Thaw

**Author's Note: Well, this was a bit of a challenge. It probably could've been slightly better, but I wanted to get it out today since it's the regular two week mark. It's over 10,000 words, which was way more than I expected what again. So, I want to know what you all think. Should I cut down the chapters and try to make them shorter, or is long like this fine? As I've mentioned before (I think), I'm a mostly dialogue writer, and have to add in not dialogue as an afterthought a lot of the time. So, I end up making things longer than they probably _need_ to be, because even I get tired of seeing only lines of dialogue/quotation paragraphs over and over. That's all I have to say for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

Rinkah was the first one to move, slamming her mace into the ice far away from where Robin was about to cast his spell. Kaze was next, carving a giant X into the mass that Hayato and Sakura worked to chip away at with their own borrowed weapons. Jakob was with Corrin, trying to cheer her up after Robin's harsh words by verbally attacking the tactician, but the girl remained silent and Robin didn't respond. Subaki attempted to loosen the ice from the top, taking Hana with him on his pegasus so they could both slash it from above and loosen the solid for the others. Azura stood behind the rest. Robin hadn't addressed her, and she was unsure of whether it was an oversight, a jab at her person, or a compliment in that he believed she could manage herself. Though she had never tried it before, she walked up to Robin and began to hum her tune, starting out almost silent, and growing in volume as she put more and more of her energy into it. She was hoping that the power of her song could boost it's target's power as well, and watched Robin to see.

The small sparks that had been hopping along Robin's fingertips and tome and occasionally brushed the ground grew at the sound, more so than Azura had expected. The electricity made the air tense as it expanded, the static making Azura's clothes shock her as her veil rubbed against her dress in the icy wind. It was akin to what she imagined the inside of a cloud looked and felt like during a thunderstorm. The energy Robin was generating with his muttering was doing more than just amplifying the lightning spell it was made for; his coat and hair were glowing slightly, fluttering as pure power ran through them. It made the princess wonder if he or other mages could fly if they really put their minds to it…

Robin's eyes snapped open, and he threw out the hand that had been held over his spellbook. "Thunder!" he commanded, summoning up a spell that made such a large explosion his companions had to duck for cover lest they be hit by the chunks of ice that were blown their way.

Bolts of lightning shot out from Robin's hand and the sparks around him alike, revealing the bodies of the three villagers who had remained when the others had dispersed, as well as five standing troops. Robin stood and glared, completely unphased, before his eyebrows widened, he cursed under his breath, and leaned on the nearby wall for support. His reaction was quite delayed though. To Azura, it seemed like he was hiding something. A spell of that caliber would have caused him to collapse immediately. But then again, she was no diviner or mage, and so she could be wrong. But there was something strange about Robin. He stayed on the wall when his companions looked at him, but the second a Nohrian soldier approached he raised his blade to counterattack. Again, no one that tired would have been able to do that. But… Azura wanted to trust him, so she'd just imagine that it was because he had great endurance. After all, he did well during their little run. It had to be that. He was no traitor… was he?

"Azura, the villagers!" Robin shouted, alerting Azura to the soldier raising his lance above one of the unconcious girls.

"You're too slow" she grunted, dashing for the villager and stabbing her naginata into the unprotected stomach of the soldier.

His breastplate was clearly too small, only reaching the bottom of his ribcage. That left the majority of his stomach exposed, and open to take in Azura's weapon. The naginata's metal tip stopped before exiting the soldier, however. By the loud crack upon impact and the way the man lost complete control of his legs, collapsing to the floor, Azura realized she must have pierced or at least hit his spine. As he fell, his weight dragged Azura forward and she stood stunned. A gloves hand on her right and another on the naginata's shaft jerked backward, freeing it from the soldiers spine and making him slide back further, again caught at the entry point. A booted door pressed on the man's chest and pushed him down, finally relinquishing Azura's naginata from the body that had held it.

The glove on the hand holding Azura's was familiar, and it took her a moment before she realized it was Robin. As she looked ahead, she saw all four other soldiers were dead, one pierced with daggers, one bearing the marks of a sword that could only be Yato, and the last two bloody from wounds inflicted by Robin's thin blade. He had put the weapon to good use ever since he obtained it from a chest on their trip to Valla.

"Thanks, I don't think I would've been protect to get to them in time. Do you think you can drag the villagers inside, maybe light a fire if there's wood and you can do it fast enough? We need to warm them. I'm going to open up some more of the path, so meet me in this direction when you're done," Robin aid, taking on a softer tone than before and losing some of the hardness in his face. He ran off toward the next block of ice, summoning more lightning to rain down upon it, but in lesser quantities, strength, and casting time.

Thankfully the three villagers were around Azura's height and didn't weigh too much to move, but she still had trouble maneuvering the first one to the door of the closest house. Opening it revealed a tall man, hugging a boy a few years Sakura's junior. Both were dressed in browns and grays, blending in well with the house though that likely wasn't his intention. Nervous, the tall man hugged the child closer and pulled them both back. The boy wriggled free however, running up to Azura and peeling past her shoulder at the girl she was pulling.

"Sissie!" he exclaimed, and the man with him rushed over.

Reaching down to grab her, the older villager paused, clearly unsure of what Azura would do in response.

"Ah, if you can, please bring her in. There are two more out in that direction… Is it alright if you grab them and I light the fire? They need to warm up quickly, or-" Azura looked down at the child in front of her. She didn't want to scare him. "Or they'll wake up cold and be mad at you for not doing it already."

The man nodded in understanding of her unsaid words and brought the first girl to the ground in front of the furnace in the center of the room, going out to collect the others.

Azura slid over and opened the furnace door, checking for and finding wood inside. However, she couldn't find anything to light the fire with. She quickly got up and looked around the small kitchen off to the side for something she could use, but still came up empty. She was running out of hope when the man came back with the second girl and the fire was still unlit. Turning around to look back to the furnace she then realized she was wrong, because the little boy was sitting next to the furnace with a wide grin, the logs burning steadily.

"Did I do good, big sis? Is this enough woods?" The boy's grin widened, eyes sparkling.

The designation the boy gave her shurprised Azura, but she was honored, so she smiled back. "You did very well, and yes, yes it was. Thank you for the help, I'm sure everybody will appreciate it." She got up, and headed to the door. "I have to go now, so I'm counting on you to take care of them for me, okay? Don't heat them up too fast, but keep them warm. Goodbye now…"

"Toma!" he shouted, providing his name and jumping to his feet.

"Toma… well, goodbye then, Toma. May we meet again."

Azura then took her exit, jogging off to where Robin had once again teamed up with Corrin and Jakob to take down the soldiers they had unveiled. Or rather, Robin and Jakob fought while Corrin hacked away at the ice, the two protecting her back so she could reveal more of the town. Azura couldn't see any more villagers, but there was a new house with smoke coming out the top, so she assumed someone had been rescued and taken inside. Expecting another gruesome scene the princess braced herself as she looked at the bodies on the floor, but this time she found none of them to be severely injured. They were simply unconscious, much to her relief.

"What are you just _standing_ there for!" Jakob snapped, slamming the flat side of his dagger into a soldier's temple. "Help me protect Lady Corrin!"

Azura nodded, and raised her naginata, sweeping the feet out from under the last soldier Robin was facing off with. He gave her a quick word of thanks, and then started casting again, facing opposite Corrin and next to the second uncovered house.

"The one in that house mentioned there was another to its side. Since there is a wall to the left, we can only assume that means the other house is on its right," Jakob said, answering Azura's unasked question. He had put his daggers back and was holding the armorslayer once more, helping Corrin where she toiled.

* * *

Robin sighed in relief when Azura finally stopped staring at him to help break the ice behind him. She had seen him cast such a large spell and stand straight up like it was nothing, and had been giving him wary glanced ever since. He had even shouted "Thunder!" and not "Lightning!" for heaven's sake! Maybe she hadn't noticed, maybe she just didn't know quite how tomes worked, maybe she thought he actually had a thunder tome, or whatever. Robin was just glad she seemed to have overlooked that fault.

Tomes were helpful, but not always 100% essential to casting. An experienced mage could sometimes cast without one after all. Not huge spells, just little ones, but it wasn't impossible. Whenever Miriel was in charge of kitchen duty during wartime, she would cast a small fire spell to light the logs under the stew. She would use no tome, but could channel the power to do it nonetheless.

Tomes were guidebooks. It was like having a recipe for a dish. If you had made the dish enough times, then you didn't need to look at the recipe and could do it from memory. Sometimes it might not work out exactly right, though, so even experienced cooks might use recipes on occasion. Then there were the ingredients. No matter how experienced someone was, they needed actual food in order to make a meal. You can't make pie if you have no crust, after all. Unless you're Sumia, but those typically weren't edible. It was a miracle she hadn't poisoned herself before finally making Chrom a proper dessert...

Regardless, it worked the same way with magic. As Azura herself had brought up that morning, mages used their own mana in conjunction with that of the environment. Small things like fire spells that ignite logs from a foot away, starting with a pinprick flame were simple enough to not need a guide. But larger spells did need one. Tomes were like conversion factors, as just manipulating the environment was not an easy thing to do. Plus, that manipulation would take so much mana it wouldn't be worth it. The tomes of Canta seemed to be slightly different than the ones of Arit given their infinite uses, and that altered spell strength. Aritian tomes lost their pages when used. Some simply lost their ink, but others' pages ignited upon use.

The price for manipulating magic was a combination of the mage's mana and the tome's power. Cantan tomes worked slightly different. There was more magic in the air than in Arit throughout Archaea, especially in Valla, the astral plane, and the region they were in now. As such, that could be used to power spells without draining tomes, giving the books unlimited uses. The price was weaker magic. The effort Robin put into casting a lightning spell in Canta was about the same effort as he put into a thunder spell in Arit, but the latter was considerably stronger.

That brought him to what he had cast. All times had similar markings and materials. Elemental spells were even more similar to each other. As such, it wasn't completely unknown for someone to cast an arcthunder when holding a thunder tome, or for a new mage to cast a regular fire when holding an elfire time because they weren't experienced enough to cast the higher level spell. Of course, that only happened when the person _knew_ both spells. If a staff user who had never before touched a tome attempted to use elfire, they would just not cast anything or make a tiny flame rather than cast a plain fire spell. Once Ricken had managed to cast an elwind spell with his regular wind tome, and spent the next week with a huge grin on his face and trying to replicate the event.

Robin preferred thunder tomes over the other element, and had cast thunder hundreds of times before (thanks to training, that was. With swords and physical weapons, one could get better by taking a practice weapon, typically made of wood, and using that. As long as the practice weapon was the same size and weight as the real thing, they could use a cheap alternative to practice that lasted weeks. With tomes though, there was no practice version. Only a tome would cast a spell, so you had to use the real thing - typically a thunder, fire, or wind - and face the glare of whoever was in charge of buying weapons when you had to ask for a new practice tome three times per week). So when he charged the lightning tome past what a normal spell would cost, he chanted the words to the spell he was most familiar with - thunder. As such, thunder had been cast. He _would_ explain that whole thing to Azura if she asked, but as far as he knew there was no such thing as thunder here, and there didn't seem to be any of its evolutions either so he didn't want to risk it. For now, he would just hope she'd forget about it.

Corrin's army continued to break the ice, rescuing villagers and lighting furnaces until they finally reached Zola. He had a rather small guard considering the amount of soldiers that had been dispersed throughout the town. Two mages, a knight, and a mercenary accompanied him, according to what Subaki had seen.

Currently the pegasus knight was on the other side of town once again, working to remove the ice that had yet to be shattered. Corrin, Jakob, Robin, and Azura had gone straight for Zola, instructing the others to continue to free villagers. There was a chance killing or at least defeating Zola would break the spell, but it seemed unlikely. Rinkah had been badly injured a few minutes before though, and so Jakob had left to go heal her and so Kaze took the butler's place. Sakura was with Subaki and Hana on the other side of the town, leaving Jakob the closest healer. It was fine with Robin. They both had range, and they wouldn't need any healing if things went according to plan. Which wasn't actually a good plan, but it was what he had. It was essentially five on four at the moment, with Corrin having the four. The knight and one of the mages were really close to the wall though, and there was this convenient gap right in front of the mage…

"Hey Kaze," Robin called, gaining the ninja's attention, "do you see that hole in the wall right there? Do you think you can get a shuriken through that and into the mage on the other side? Back up as soon as you do though, because if they see it or get hit they'll cast back and I don't want you getting hurt if we can avoid it."

"Of course."

"Great, just wait till I give you the signal. Corrin, when I say go, which I will do,quietly because I don't want them to hear us, slam into that ice as hard as you possibly can. It's thin enough that it should crumble and reveal the path to Zola as soon a you hit it, so be prepared in case the mercenary comes rushing out at you. Azura, put your back to the wall and when the mercenary appears, swing your naginata to the left at head level. Corrin, this means you go low. Try to go for his legs. If he's competent at all, your opponent will be in a slight crouch when he rushes you, so if you bend over at the waist and cut straight out, you'll get him in the waist or thigh. If Azura swings as planned she'll hit him in the helmet and daze him, leaving you better protected and able to hit. He might even be knocked out by the blow, and if he is try to kick his body back toward the others. I know it may seem kind of overkill, but we want every advantage possible; doing that will either cause one of them to hesitate, make them have to avoid his body when they attack us, or trip them. You got all that?"

"Right."

"Of course!"

"Well then. 3, 2, 1, GO!"

Kaze threw his shuriken, and by the cry on the other side of the wall he had hit his mark. The ninja backflipped away right as a small explosion formed where he had been previously standing, and Robin cast his own spell, the lightning powered by his tome striking down on the other side of the wall and making the unfortunate knight standing there scream in pain as he dropped to the ground, if the slam of armor was any indication. Corrin had done as planned, and half a second later the clang of brass on iron rang out, Azura's naginata denting the mercenary's helmet and knocking the man to the ground.

Zola's high pitched cry of frustration could be heard from behind the wall, where he was likely outraged at how easily his allies were going down. Azura had a confident look on her face, and Corrin turned to wink at Robin as she went to attack Zola and the two mages. Kaze had scaled the house next to the wall, and was standing on top of it. He threw down two shuriken and jumped to the other side, where Robin couldn't see him but could hear the sounds of fighting. Azura went forward too when Robin gave her the motion, the two heading for the mage Kaze wasn't attacking. Corrin had gone for Zola.

Despite the two people heading for him, the mage didn't attack back. He simply turned his back to him, and raised his Mjölnir tome. Azura and Robin attacked in the same moment, the princess slicing the mage's back and Robin letting loose a lightning spell on their opponent's body. He stumbled, but kept casting. Horror flooded Robin's eyes as he realized what the mage was doing. He was attacking Corrin. Corrin, the person who had the worst resistance in her army.

"Corrin, _move_!" Robin screamed, throwing his shoulder into the mage and knocking them both to the ground. Mjölrn wants the most powerful tome out there judging by how little damage the other mages on the field had done when casting it, but this mage had charged the spell and since this one was part of Zola's,personal guard, he was probably the strongest magic user on Zola's side apart from the jester himself.

By the time Corrin had processed Robin's words, her body was wracked by lightning. The metal of her armor didn't help protect her as the shock made the girl scream, seizing momentarily before dropping to the ground in a crumpled heap, breathing heavily.

Kaze sucked in a breath, and threw his right arm across his body, the blade on his forearm catching in the bare abdomen of the mage he has been fighting, the ninja's left piercing the man's sternum and painting them both red. The Nohrian soldier wrapped his arms around the long wounds, spluttering as he collapsed. He pathetically choked on his own blood as his shaking hands reached for whatever sort of potion he had on him, and Kaze ran toward Zola who was laughing over Corrin's body.

The jester stopped laughing, however, when Kaze's still bloody arm blade aimed for his head. The mage managed to dodge, but his hat caught on the sharp object, coming off his head and showing just how close he had been to getting a hole in his visage.

Kaze was focused and relentless, and used his speed to get in another blow. Pushing Zola forward, the ninja threw two shuriken into the mage's stomach, making him stumble backward. The knight that Robin had defeated earlier was just behind Zola, and when the mage stumbled he tripped over the mass of armor his unconscious guard wore. Zola lost his balance and crashed to the floor, eyes wide and body shaking harder than before as he looked up at where Kaze stood, shuriken aimed to throw.

When Kaze released the weapon, however, it wasn't toward the man below him. Instead, it flew wildly toward the wall, knocked off target when Kaze crossed his arms at his chest to block the sword swung at his chest. The mercenary Azura had knocked out had woken up and had moved to attack, ignoring the blood that ran down his face and into his from where the Nohrian's dented helmet had cut his forehead.

With Kaze distracted and Azura having run off to grab a healer, Zola took the chance to cast the finishing blow on Corrin, a desperate smile on his face.

"Mwehehe! This is what you get for thinking you could defeat me, girl!"

A dark miasma gathered above Corrin's unmoving form. From the deep purple, almost black shade it held, it was some form of dark magic. Dark magic was special in that for whatever reason, it tended to do more damage to those already injured. Maybe it was because of the twisted nature many of its careers had; many dark mages seemed to get an intense sort of pleasure from the pain of their enemies, and hurting those already hurt was the best they could do. The more passion one put into casting, the more powerful the spell after all.

The downside to most dark magic, though, was its limited targeting. Technically, if an elfire was cast toward where two people stood close together, it could hit and damage both. Dark magic always stuck to one person though. And since that was the case…

"Kff-!" Robin grunted, throwing himself on top of Corrin.

Since he was between her and the caster, and the magic could only target one person, he ended up as the spell's victim. If it had been cast well it would have ignored him and gone for Corrin, but Zola had been acting hastily. The spell locked onto Robin instead, leaving Corrin no more injured than she had been before.

Corrin was still twitching slightly underneath him, and Robin was glad she hadn't been the spell's target. Zola had cast Nosferatu, which worked to drain its target's health. There were few things more unpleasant than the feeling of gradually having your own life drained out of your body. To feel your bones ache and blood burn; your body spasm and limbs collapse; your lungs compress and stop your breathing momentarily as the energy of your own soul left your body to sustain another. Thankfully the spell only lasted a moment, and the uncomfortable feeling faded within seconds.

Robin rose, and looked to where an uninjured Zola stood, fear plastered on his face. That was the annoying thing about fighting people with Nosferatu. They just wouldn't die. As long as they had a proper tome, they could keep killing and keep fighting, recovering from their injuries as they felled their enemies, not having to pause to down a concoction or wait for a priest. Zola's spell must have been a powerful one to completely heal the gashes Kaze's shuriken had left on his stomach. It passed through Robin's resistance after all. That was probably the most dangerous thing about Nosferatu. Since it technically healed the caster, both the victim and the receiver of health registered it as a positive, healing spell, and didn't attempt to block it. After all, though staff magic was still magic, staves healed everyone to the same degree, regardless of how high or low their resistance was. It would be a big problem if magic users couldn't be healed by magic well, after all.

Robin had dropped his tome when he ran to cover Corrin. So, as he stepped toward where Zola was cowering, he drew his blade. The jester shook in his boots as Robin put it to his neck, not attempting to shake it off in the slightest, but instead moving his lips as if to say 'please,' but not making any sound.

Kaze had defeated the mercenary while Robin was occupied, and was gently shaking Corrin behind where Robin stood.

"Drop your tome, and everything else you have on you," Robin ordered.

The Nosferatu and a gold seal dropped to the ground seconds later, the thump and click of the two hitting the ground being the only sounds other than the waterfall nearby and the distant clap of feet against stone as the rest of Corrin's army approached. The birds and other animals had gone silent once the ice spell had been cast.

Robin took Zola by the collar and sat the jester down in front of him as he cut a long strip of cloth from one of the downed mages' capes. Zola looked on in confusion until Robin took the strip and tied Zola's hands together, pulling the cloth so tight it was probably cutting off circulation to some degree. He cut off another strip to tie Zola's legs together at the ankles, leaving enough length in the middle that the mage could shuffle, but not enough that he could run. Zola whimpered when Robin tightened the knots, but the tactician wasn't feeling all that friendly at the moment. The mage had tried to kill Corrin and had succeeded in not only terrorizing an entire town, but murdering several townspeople. Plus, though the main pain had gone away, Robin still felt a full ache throughout his body because of the Nosferatu spell Zola had cast.

The flap of a pegasus's wings grew louder, and then a shout sounded.

"Big sister!"

Subaki landed off to the side and Sakura dismounted her retainer's pegasus, running to her sister's side. She held her festal out during her run, beginning her spell even from a distance and while in motion. The girl had a lot more skill than she gave herself credit for. Eventually she kneeled at Corrin's side, giving a sigh of relief.

Jakob rounded the corner then, giving his own shout of "Milady!" as he joined Sakura over Corrin's figure.

"I-It's okay. She's just… She m-mostly got shocked so it should be fine. The shock was what knocked her out, and I c-can heal her the rest of the way, so don't worry, okay?" Sakura said, nervous under Jakob's heavy gaze.

"Thank the heavens. And thank you as well Sakura." Jakob gave his own sigh of relief, before turning to give Zola one of the most powerful glared Robin had seen in his life. Jakob's glares were always pretty powerful. And scary. The jester shook even harder and looked at Robin for help, but the tactician just added his own glare. Which was nothing compared to what Jakob was giving, but it was at least something.

Sakura blushed at the compliment, and kept up her healing. Azura arrived with Hana a minute later, and Gunter with Rinkah and Hayato a minute after that. Corrin had woken up once Azura arrived, slightly dazed and limbs tingling, but otherwise okay. Robin would have to either figure out some way to stop her from attacking mages, or get his hands on some talismans as soon as possible. Her attack against Zola went well enough though, and it was Robin's fault for underestimating the mage he had been fighting that Corrin got hurt as badly as she did. So he would let it slide for the moment. If he couldn't make an argument he himself would listen to, then he wouldn't lecture another with it. Unless he was really desperate or annoyed, but at the moment Robin was neither.

"Well then," said Robin, as he addressed Zola, " _you_ will be leading us to wherever you hid the real archduke and his court. Now." He hoped he seemed firm enough with his words. He didn't really like scare tactics, but Zola seemed to be really receptive to them so that's what the tactician would go with.

Zola gulped and scrambled to his feet, falling over as his legs tangled in each other and their binding. Gunter grabbed the mage before he fell flat though, and set him back in his feet, practically snarling from atop his horse.

Leading them into the palace, Zola paused in front of a large set of doors, likely leading to some great dining hall or something of the sort. He paused, and looked around.

"What are you waiting for, Zola? We've won here, so show us where you put the actual Izana!" Corrin ordered, a bit grumpy from having been shocked earlier.

"Mwehehe… Did you really think I was so dumb as to not have an escape plan!? Take this, stupid girl!"

Zola spun around and put his bound hands around Sakura's neck, pulling them back as if to strangle her.

"Sister!" Sakura cried, freezing at the contact.

"See! You touch me and she _dies_! I pull this cord back and she _chokes_! And now isn't she just the most adorable little hostage, crying out for her big sister-"

"Good try Zola, but you two are the same height. Even if you move your arms back all the way you're too close to actually choke her. Now let go before you really regret it." Robin took a step forward, but stopped and raised his eyebrows when Zola giggled once more, moving his arms back anyway. And creeping Robin and everyone else in the room out.

"What the-" Hayato gasped, disgusted.

"What is _wrong_ with Nohrians!?" Rinkah gagged, a similar expression on her face.

"That's… That's… That's not normal," Robin whispered, horrified.

Zola had not been bluffing when he said he could and would choke Sakura. Somehow, he had managed to move his arms back in a way that Robin had not known to be possible, his shoulder blades protruding in such a way that they should have been dislocated. His elbows were actually _crossing_ behind his back because of how contorted the man was.

"Not all Nohrians are like this, just me. And I was ridiculed for so long for it, but now look how it's served me. So say goodbye to your little sister, girlie! Watch as the life drains from her eyes and- _GYAAAAA!"_ Zola screamed at the end of his mocking, a great tree sprouting from the ground and piercing his body. A branch cut the cloth on his hands, releasing Sakura and knocking her forward. Hayato rushed to catch the princess, and with a great flash the tree was gone.

"Wait a minute, I know that spell…" Corrin said, turning to the entrance of the palace.

"Pathetic dog. You were the lowest of the low, Zola. Using a hostage and needlessly throwing the lives of your troops away. You _disgrace_ ," the spellcaster spat, looking at the red splotch, cloth, and mangled branches that had once been Zola. Walking in with a horse at his side was a heavily armored blond, probably around seventeen and holding a tome Robin had never seen before.

"Leo! It is you! Thank you so much for saving Sakura, I don't know how I can repay you."

"..." the man, Leo, raised his head as to,look down on Corrin, silent.

"..." Corrin was caught off guard by the man's silence, having expected and answer. "So Leo, do you think you could join us in the upcoming battles? You saved Sakura when I couldn't, and I know you're strong. We could really use your help, and I promise you we aren't out to beat Nohr. How about it?"

"... If you aren't out to defeat Nohr, and if you aren't out to defeat Hoshido as evidenced by your companions, then what _is_ your goal. I'm finding you hard to believe."

"Our goal? Well that's complicated. What I can tell you is that King Garon is being manipulated by someone, and that if we don't stop him, then something terrible might happen. Think, why would he start a war with Hoshido unprovoked? It wasn't Garon that wanted it, but the person who's controlling him from behind the scenes, and I need your help to-" Leo interrupted Corrin with a scoff.

"And who exactly is it that is doing the manipulating? Who in the world would want to throw Hoshido and Nohr into war with each other. The two together make up almost the entirety of the world, and any battles between the two have severe repercussions for everyone, whether they lived in either of the two warring countries or not. And Father having no motives for attacking Hoshido? Our countries have fought with each other for centuries, even if only in skirmishes. And for the last two decades, Nohr had been crumbling thanks to selfishness of the Hoshidans. The darkness that covers our sky has killed all our crops, and our people are starving. Nohr is a land of manufacturing. We would gladly trade our crafts for food from across the Canyon. Yet the Hoshidans scorn us, and leave our people to die of hunger. They don't care at all for the pain of those in Nohr.

"As such, Father seeks to war with Hoshido so that prosperity may be brought back to war. As part of peace terms, the Hoshidans would be mandated to either trade with or give tribute to Nohr in the form of food. So don't think he's someone else's tool for wanting to relieve our people. Whatever your goal is, I won't fall for any trap you have set. Goodbye, traitor."

Leo mounted his horse, and Corrin cried out after him.

"Leo, wait! Please, just listen! I'm not trying to betray anyone, I promise. I can't tell you exactly the reason for now, but believe me, I-"

"I have nothing left to say to you. You've abandoned your country, abandoned your _family_ , who tried their hardest to raise you as one of their own, and now you're trying to make Father out to be some sort of pawn. I won't have it. Now, as I said before. Goodbye, _traitor_."

Leo sent a blast behind Corrin's head, and Jakob jumped in front of her, daggers in hand. Robin took the opportunity to step up.

"Just a moment, Prince Leo." The blond didn't turn at Robin's words, but stalled his horse nonetheless. "Tell me, when did your father tell you those things? About his reasoning behind war with Hoshido. Was it when he addressed his people to give them peace in mind? Was it when you asked him, desperate to know the reason a father would put his own children's lives at risk when it could be avoided? Or was it when you sat at your desk late at night, trying to imagine some logical explanation your father had for his actions.

"Prince Leo. I can see you're a bright person. Please, tell me: was it really your father who told you those reasons, or was it your own mind that came up with excuses to humanize your own father who's no longer capable of controlling of his own actions? Think it through."

Leo lowered his head, not saying a word. He spoke up once before he kicked his horse and rode away.

"Inside that door you will find the archduke and the younger Hoshidan Prince."

He left without a goodbye that time.

"..."

The members of Corrin's army were all giving Robin different looks, and he wasn't sure who to address first. Thankfully, Jakob decided for him.

"As much as I don't like the prospect, you are probably correct. I was taken to be a servant in the castle at a young age, and over the years I've seen Garon become more and more twisted. So much so that I don't think he even has the capability to procure so much reason for a single action. He hasn't been for at least the last year, possibly two. And as of the time Lady Corrin and I left, Leo was both admired and detested for his strategic and logical talent. I have no doubt that he would be capable of coming up with a reason for another's actions."

"..." Corrin kept her silence, upset at Leo's rejection.

"I see him!" Sakura said, peeking through the hole Leo had made in the door when he blasted away the locks place upon it. "I can see big brother!"

"Woah, Lord Takumi is really in there? What are you waiting for, let's get in!" Hana shouted, grabbing a giant door and running backward, pulling the heavy thing open with her weight.

The now open room was filled with people, all tied up, and some even gagged.

Corrin looked to Robin, and he nodded, letting her take the lead.

"Hey everyone. My name is Corrin, and I'm here to help you all. Just sit tight, and we'll work on freeing you all. I'm sorry we couldn't get here faster, but I promise we'll untie you as quick as we can."

True to her promise, the girl went to the first person in front of her and got out a small blade, cutting the ropes that bound them. They thanked her and went to untie their neighbor, Corrin moving to the person on their other side. Corrin's troops spread throughout the room, moving randomly except for two. Sakura went straight for the person Robin assumed was Takumi, and Robin himself went to a man sitting to the side of the room who looked awfully familiar.

Freeing the man, Robin asked the man his identity.

"Me? Why, _I_ am the great Archduke Izana, descendant of the gods, heir of their divine bloodline, and keeper of the prophecies. And a bunch of other things, but those are-"

"'Super boring so I won't bother to tell you', right?" Robin finished, cutting the man off, as he had already heard the whole spiel from Zola and didn't care to hear it again.

"Oh. Yeah. That was _exactly_ what I was gonna say. Hmmm… you aren't some fortune teller are ya? Cause if you are, then I'd really like I know what- Oh wait, it's against the rules to tell a diviner a divination, isn't it. Like, speaker-of-the-gods or fortune-teller diviner. The mage diviners with the scrolls and everything are fine to divine for, but normally not the other ones," he rambled, frowning even more dramatically than the Zola-Izana had.

"Nice to know. My name's Robin, by the way, and we met someone earlier who was posing as you and told me the same thing. I'm not a diviner, though that would be pretty cool," the tactician supplied, looking over his shoulder.

Corrin was on her way over, accompanied by Sakura and (presumably) Takumi.

"Ah, you're the archduke, aren't you?" the white haired princess asked, once she got close enough, curious.

"Yep-eroo! Oh Robby, did you know that I'm _also_ the five- or was it-"

"'Six, let's go with six time winner of the best hair award?,'" Robin finished, a sly smile on his face.

"Awwwww no fair! That big meanie took away _everything_ cool I was gonna say. That is totally not nice."

"T-the real Izana is even more informal than Zola was…" Sakura stuttered, looking to Corrin, who just shrugged.

"And who might you be, missy?" Izana asked, bending over to look at Sakura. "I'm going to say you're princess Sakura, right? And this grumpy kid to your left is your brother Takumi? Oh what am I saying, of course it is! Knowing who people are is part of being the voice of a god, y'know. After all, the gods _do_ know everyone!"

Takumi, confirmed to be such, looked offended by Izana's words, and mumbled something Robin couldn't make out.

"Well, he's kind of right you know," said Corrin, who had apparently caught whatever Takumi had said.

"..." Continuing the trend of silent brothers, Takumi didn't respond to Corrin's words.

"Big brother, I…" Sakura tried to initiate conversation, but her bad social skills got the better of her and she stopped mid sentence.

"Sakura, have you really turned against Hoshido too? What will Ryoma think? He's already lost one family member to Corrin, and I don't know what he'll do when he finds out he's lost another, even if you are technically still alive." The Hoshidan prince was suspicious of his sister, clearly wary after what happened with Corrin back in Hoshido.

"W-what? Of course not! I haven't, and Corrin hasn't, and neither has anyone else! We're trying to help Hoshido, brother. We just can't explain exactly why yet. But there is something going on that's way worse than anything Nohr might do, so you have to believe her. Please!" Sakura defended her sister, earning a hurt look from Takumi. He bit his lip and looked down.

"Forgive me, Sakura, but I can't accept this flimsy explanation. Corrin, Sakura may believe your words. I don't."

"Oh. Well, I hope that you-"

"Noooooooooooo! Nononononooo!" Izana cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "You _can't_ say that, Prince Takumi, that's not how this is supposed to work! You _have_ to agree with Corrin! C'mon, you gotta!"

Takumi looked at Izana like he was insane.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's really complicated so I won't give you the whole spiel, but it's like I said. You have to go with Corrin. The gods demand it, and you know how gods work. Going against them isn't really all that smart. So join your sisters! Well, at least these two. The other one is kinda not with them so I don't want you to join her, but she'll join later anyway if the prophecy stuff I'm getting is right. Although, the prophecies I've been getting have been really weird the past few days. Or Maybe the last week or two? I haven't really been paying attention to the days."

"W-wait a prophecy? About me? Do prophecies really just work like that?"

"Of course they do. How did you expect them to work? I mean, the original prophecies and prayers had to come from somewhere, and why would people pray if no one was ever hit with a divine vision otherwise? I just so happen to get them kinda a lot. So, will you do it? Or are you going to deny the gods; deny what fate has in store for you?" Izana took on a more serious tone at the end, and Takumi looked nervous as Izana opened his eyes slightly for the first time since Robin had arrived.

"We're not pawns of some scripted fate. We're more than that. And destiny can be changed. I've already done it once, I can do it again," Robin muttered, frowning.

"Mmm? What'd you say, Robin?"

Apparently Robin hadn't been as quiet as he thought, and Izana had caught at least part of what Robin had said.

"I-" Robin's response was cut off when Izana took a step toward him, the archduke looking down slightly with his greater height.

"..."

No one spoke, and Izana opened his eyes once more, slightly wider than he had previously.

"You… That's weird. You don't… have a prescribed fate. Or well, your spiritual connection is really whack at least. Uh, you haven't done any _really_ dark magic have you? Like occult, human sacrifice, alter breaking stuff? Because I don't even know where to start with how weird your soul is."

Takumi grabbed Sakura and backed up, Corrin not moving but taking in a quick breath.

"I can't usually see someone's exact fate, at least not without giving up an almost fatal amount of life energy along with huge preparations and tribute. But normally I can tell the general path someone is headed on. Yours is completely blank though, and the path it's run is badly fragmented. That's not exactly natural. Unless you're the subject of an unbelievable amount of curses, but you also have a faint essence of some divine power left on your spirit, so that probably isn't it… Where are you from, Robin? This isn't anything I've even seen before, and this kind of work should take several decades, if not centuries at the least. Like something passed down the family line."

"..." Robin didn't know how to respond. If he was honest, then he'd either be regarded as insane, or completely rejected. But if he wasn't, then Izana might be able to tell. Despite any soul fragmentation or whatever it was he had going on, the lie would show up, and Izana would tell the others.

"Robin?" asked Corrin, who had a concerned look on her face. It was obvious he would have to respond in some way.

"...I don't really remember. My childhood and even teen years are completely lost to me. My first memory is actually of waking up in a field, two kind royals and a servant above my head." Robin looked over to Corrin for a moment. "It was an odd thing to wake up to, so I trailed them, and you can see where I am now. So I'm sorry, but I can only guess where my homeland is. From what I've seen, it doesn't seem to be Hoshido or Nohr, so you can at least cross those out."

That actually was complete honesty, even if it was missing a few pieces of information, and Izana kept quiet for a moment while he thought about Robin's answer. Technically the tactician didn't have any memories of his childhood, as his first memory was of waking up in the field with Chrom. And since it was Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, that made two royals and a servant (or nanny), aligning with what happened in Canta with Corrin, Azura, and Jakob. Furthermore, even though he presumed he was born in Plegia, Robin had no actual proof that that was true. His mother had taken him away from Plegia as a child, but he could have been taken there from another place first.

And as for his soul… Robin looked down at his right hand, covered by a black glove. Under it was the mark of Grima, a sign of his past.

'I wonder. Naga said that if I killed Grima, he would die, and if Chrom did it then he would be sealed. But what would happen if someone else killed him? She only ever described what would happen if we did it, and that anyone else who tried would fail. Does that mean their blows would do no damage? No, that couldn't be. Sumia got a hit in on him, or at least his avatar, and he bled from that. Maybe it just meant that he would reappear if killed? He was healing at an astounding rate from the blows anyone other than Chrom or I got in. So perhaps he would die in appearance, but materialize somewhere else and resume his reign of terror after a short while.

'When I killed Grima, or at least, when I thought I killed Grima, I sort of dissolved into thin air a minute after. I didn't see what exactly happened to him, since the lightning was too bright. And since he was possessing future me, and almost got to present me too, does that mean he could've hopped? The reason I lost my memories in the first place was because I wasn't strong enough to contain Grima or whatever it was, but I've been through a lot since then. He might have just preferred a willing vessel to an unwilling one, able to use both.

'Naga, I hope that isn't true. But why else would the mark of Grima be on my hand other than for the fact that I still held some of his power or essence inside me? He's too dark of a god to match the divine power Izana mentioned, so I'm guessing that's an after effect of Naga's transfer and help, but goes with the decades or centuries worth of work thing. The human sacrifice and dark stuff matched Grima too. And as for not having a fate, I probably confused the universe when I changed the future by killing Grima and saving Chrom. Or by taking Grima away to where I am now, if I'm right. Which I really hope I'm not.'

Azura had found her way over to where the three Hoshidan royals plus Robin were while he thought, replacing Izana who was nowhere in sight. She was speaking quietly with Corrin, more emotion visible than normal. Takumi and Sakura also spoke, Takumi sending the occasional uncomfortable glance at Robin, and quickly turning away when he realized Robin had noticed.

"So, where is Izana, if you don't mind me asking?" Robin said, addressing the four.

"He went to go perform some sort of ceremony to speak with the gods. When I asked him about the Seal of Flames, he said he wasn't really familiar with it, but that they'd know, so he ran off," Corrin supplied, shrugging.

"A ceremony? Like one of the ones that takes an almost mortal amount of life energy along with tribute and preparations? Without the preparations and possibly tribute?"

"Oh, you're kidding me!" Takumi scoffed, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Brother, you don't think…?"

"Sakura, that's _exactly_ what he did. What was he thinking?"

"What!? Can we stop him? I don't want him hurting or even killing himself because he tried to hurt us! Dang it, where did Izana go?" Deeply concerned, Corrin swung her head side to side, trying to catch sight of some area that looked like it lead to a ceremony room.

"He's this way, follow me," answered Azura, walking through the crowd of people still being freed.

The number of people tied up on the floor was impressive, and Robin wondered just how Zola had managed to catch them all. Perhaps he had gone around, disguised as Izana, guiding them to the room one by one and tying them up once they were inside and realized something was wrong. Or maybe he just had enough guards to take the soldiers of Izumo, who were used to peacetime and this inexperienced, by force.

Either way, it was quite a sight to see. Almost everyone in the banquet hall wore elaborate robes, layers and layers of cloth that would have suffocated Robin had he been wearing them. Golden tapestries and elaborate paintings adorned the wall, their flowing style something Robin had only seen in Chon'sin prior to his journey to Canta. These were slightly different, but beautiful nonetheless. Many of the paintings were in bright, bold colors, but others were in grays and dull blues. Several seemed to belong to different stories, a few central designs and characters present from one piece to the next, changing positions to follow what Robin assumed was scripture or other religious stories. Or possibly prophecies.

Dragon sculptures, paintings, and tapestries were also present throughout the room, many climbing the pillars holding the roof of the giant room up. Birds, trees, and other depictions of nature were carved faintly onto the rest of the pillars, appearing flat from afar and the designs not visible until one got close enough to touch.

Azura stopped at a grand set of doors, and when Sakura and Corrin went forward to grab them, Takumi and Azura both put out hands to stop them.

"If this ceremony is as dangerous as he has described it, I don't think disrupting it would turn out very well for either him or us," the latter one said, holding Corrin's arm.

"Exactly. Our best bet is to wait. Sakura, you know that what Mom- what Mikoto did was much simpler than this, but interrupting her never led to good things. Remember that one time a messenger burst into the ritual room while she was reinforcing the barrier around Hoshido? The whole thing almost collapsed, and she had a terrible cough for days. I'm pretty sure I saw her limping, too. Plus, she was always exhausted after getting one of her premonitions, especially when she actually prepared to have a vivid one rather than just waited to get a small one. Izana is doing a different type of ceremony, but it involves both a premonition and some ritual, so I think interrupting him would be much worse. It's probably too late at this point," Takumi recalled, crossing his arms and tilting his head up to look at the designs at the top of the doors.

"Haah…"

At that moment, the doors were pushed open, a shaky Izana stumbling out. Corrin went to grab him as he latched on to one of the doors' giant handles for support, but the man pushed her way.

He did his best to stand up straight, but he looked even paler than before if that was even possible, and was gasping for air. Coughing, he took in a breath to speak, though quickly brought a long white sleeve to his mouth, which came down as red when his coughs stopped.

"Archduke!" someone shouted in alarm, sprinting up to Izana. The new man was also dressed in what seemed to be ceremonial robes, as opposed to the formal or fancy robes most of the residents of the banquet hall had on.

"Katsa. I got th-this. Anyway, Prince Takumi, I got my premonition. You really gotta go with C-Corrin. According to the gods, 'Everything is not yet seen... The truth is far and hidden low. The one upon the water's surface, he who knows all is the true foe…'"

"Who though? Who's the one 'upon the water's surface?' And what do you mean he who knows all?'" Takumi seemed slightly less opposed to joining Corrin's army, but was still unsure.

"Well, the g-gods aren't _that_ clear, otherwise it would give humans... too much of an advantage over other creatures. Though, most creatures are better attuned to the spirit world than we are. Hahah...ahh…" Coughing again, Izana leaned against the door once more, and Katsa moved to keep him from falling.

"Archduke, you-"

"Wait wait wait, Katsa. I'm not d-done yet. I've got two to go. Next… is about the Seal of Flames. Here is more of a saying or o-order that's been passed down my family for a few generations, but it's this: 'We will show she who shuns the light and dark another way.' Kinda cryptic, but I can tell it's you, Corrin. The gods… said that you had to 'go meet the dragon' after all when… I asked them." Shutting his eyes, Izana stopped trying to hold his weight up, and Katsa tightened his grip as he lowered the archduke to the floor.

"The last two prophecies are for me? Izana, I promise I'll do my best to meet this dragon. But, do you know anything else?" asked Corrin.

"N-no, that was _one_ of the last...two. The other was just a say-ying," Izana's breathing was getting worse, and Katsa had pulled out a rod while he spoke, trying to heal the archduke the best he could, "The last one is for Ro… bin over th-there. 'He who brought the future past yet sleeps, awaiting revival. Fallen light restored to a land wavers… A new era approaches, the harbinger's force stripped. Harmony shall prevail.' I didn't recognize... the god who said it but… Takumi, m-make sure you go w-with Corrin. And good luck, my fellow… white haired… people… if you fail, I'll come back to h-haunt you… Booooo..."

Izana opened his eyes fully, the black pits startling Robin before pale lids closed, and Izana slumped back completely.

"Archduke?!" Katsa screamed, dropping his rod to shake Izana. Izana didn't stir, and his chest didn't rise or fall either.

A few more people in ceremonial robes approached at the cry, gasping and making noises of horror at Izana's prone body. When the archudke mentioned giving an _almost_ fatal amount of life energy, he might have been being optimistic or under exaggerating. That, or he didn't realize how much energy the ceremony would take. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would want to die like that. But he was the archduke for a reason, and came from a long line of diviners. He was probably prepared for the outcome. The newcomers whispered to each other and took Izana back to the ceremony room, all grim and the youngest of the group in tears.

Sakura was much the same, and was the first of Corrin's group to speak.

"N-no! We weren't fast enough…! Now Izana's…" She hiccuped, and Takumi hugged her to his side, looking the other direction.

"Darn it!" Corrin said, punching the wall. Azura gently out a hand in the other girl's arm, looking guilty for not bringing them over earlier.

"Don't blame yourselves," Robin began, grabbing the four royals' attention, "he knew the risks, and he accepted them to deliver these prophecies. We can't let his sacrifice be in vain."

Sakura was still sniffling, Corrin's eyes were also shining from building tears, and the two didn't appear to believe Robin entirely. He got some help, though, from the one he didn't expect.

"Sakura, Corrin. Nothing we can do will bring Izana back. But we have to keep moving forward. Like… like with Mother in Hoshido. She knew the risks of taking Corrin in armed, but she did it anyway because she had the heart for it. And when Corrin's sword exploded, she got in the way. Mom already sacrificed herself, so please, at least don't waste _her_ sacrifice too." Looking down at Sakura, still hugging his side, Takumi ruffled her hair while he gave his spiel. Sakura sniffled once more and straightened up, clasping her hands together at her hips.

"O-okay," Sakura agreed. She had a more determined expression at this point, and looked up into her older brother's eyes.

"So does this mean that you'll be joining us Takumi?" asked Robin.

"Yeah. The Archduke gave everything he had for this, and there's no way I would just overlook that. You can add one more member to your resistance force now."

"Make that two!" a new male voice cried out from behind them.

"Or three!" a second voice, this one female, corrected.

Running up to Corrin's group, or more specifically Takumi, were two people dressed for combat rather than the traditional robes of the palace of Izumo or dirty cloth of the village. The first one to have spoken was a young man about Takumi's height, with messy brown hair put up in a hairtie. He had a crossed scar on one side of his face, and a huge grin that reached for it. The man was dressed in the attire of a Samurai, but it was slightly modified. His clothes were white and purple as opposed to white and blue, and a sleeveless top revealed highly muscled arms. Most people that well defined were axe users, but the katana at the man's side and outfit showed him not to be such.

His companion was dressed as a spear fighter in full yellow, long blue hair also up in a ponytail. It was a bit similar to Takumi's actually. Really similar, actually. And when she and the samurai went to Takumi's side, Robin was pretty sure he had figured out who they were.

"Are you two Takumi's retainers?"

"Yes…" Takumi sighed.

"Of course!" the two retainers shouted in unison.

"My name's Hinata, by the way. My specialty is the katana, and I know my way around a fight! I'll make sure to help you guys out the best I can," the male one said, introducing himself.

"I'm Oboro," the woman stated, gaining a dark, shadowy expression, "and while I'd rather not have to deal with any Nohrians except for the ones I have to best in battle, I'll do my best to cooperate with you if that's what Lord Takumi wishes."

The almost evil-looking grin on her face made Robin shudder, and he could see Corrin do the same. Corrin out on a smile though, and welcomed the two to the group, inviting them to meet the rest of her army, which had finally finished freeing the people in the banquet hall.

Robin sent a glance back to the large doors of the ceremony room as he walked away, sighing. On one hand, he wished Izana hadn't given them his prophecy so that the man might have lived. In the other hand, he was glad that he got to hear it, and was disappointed he wouldn't get more. It wasn't a very nice thought, and the others would probably get mad at him for regarding the archduke's sacrifice as such. But it was genuine, and he would keep quiet about it. He didn't want anyone to die, really. And he hasn't expected Izana to do what he had either. But that was the way things went.

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 **Author's Note: I have 1,000 words on tomes in there. Probably way to much, but man do I love long explanations and lore and all that. Moving on, I'm not sure if this was the best ending for the chapter, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to put some events in this one, or the next, so this is where it ends. I would really like to know what you guys think about chapter length, pacing, characterization, and anything else, so please review! Even if it's just a comment like "Izana is a funny guy" or "Why did Azura do x." I would be happy to reply and answer any questions, so feel free. Three last notes: I have a short story that I originally published on tumblr for Xanlow week up here, so check that out if you have the time. And if you're wondering what's up with Zola, I'm basically trying to describe him as... double jointed, or a contortionist or whatever. Third thing, I realized that festals are actually called rods in the game, adn it's just that the first ones are Bloom Festal, Sun Festal, etc... I'll probably go back and fix that soon. That's all for now.**

 **Originally published October 15, 2016. 10,292 words.**

 **Eruran out.**


	9. Questions

**Author's Note: Today marks exactly a month since I posted the last chapter. I'll try my best to get things out on time, but I'll probably end up posting once every three weeks from now on since I've just added another 3 hour a day commitment to my life (I could have gotten this out a week ago, to be honest, but my guilt about being late made me not want to post at all, and so I kept putting it off). I at least read through this chapter for mistakes for once, actually revising it, so it should hopefully be a little more polished than recent chapters. In a week or two I'll go back through and polish those up too. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

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After the battle in Izumo, Katsa had insisted that Corrin's group stay in the palace for the night to rest up. They agreed, and each went off to their rooms, all separate from one another. Minus Sakura though, who Robin had noticed sneaking off to follow Takumi. That left Robin to sit on the floor of the room he had been assigned, finally alone. Reveling in the fact that he finally had some time to himself, Robin looked over some texts he had borrowed from the library located between the banquet hall and where the tactician would be sleeping. He had no plan for what to do next, so for now he would continue his attempts at familiarizing himself with the history and landscape of Canta. Robin would also hopefully get the chance to sleep in for once, since Katsa or some random member of the Izuman palace staff would wake him in the morning. Or afternoon, if they let him sleep that long and he stayed up late enough. His alarm clock was still in the astral plane, and Robin didn't want to bother Corrin and Lilith to get it.

Whispers from outside the paper door that blocked his room drew Robin's attention, and he called whomever it was in.

The door then opened, revealing Azura, Corrin, Sakura, and Takumi, the females in borrowed pajamas while the male of the group was still in his combat outfit from earlier. Sakura had an arm locked with one of Takumi's, while Azura and Corrin stood separate on the archer's other side. Takumi was the first one to walk in, Sakura walking second due to their attachment. Corrin took a step in third, and Azura was the last to enter. No one said a word. Uncomfortable with the silence, Robin initiated conversation.

"Uh, would you like to sit down? Give me a second to move these papers, so you have a clear spot and don't knock anything over or accidentally rip something," he said nervously, shifting the mess around him.

In addition to traditional books, Robin had picked up a few scrolls, the combined texts littered the floor. Alongside them were pages of notes he had taken on their contents, since he didn't expect to remember one hundred percent of what he read, and found it raised to point to paper when explaining something to another person rather than just trying to convince them by way of mouth.

While he organized the scattered objects on the floor, Robin gestured for the four royals to sit. None of them moved.

"Did I do something wrong? Wait, is there some custom I'm missing? I know you're royals, so I should probably be doing some special action on ceremony or whatever, but I'm kind of amnesia ridden and haven't studied enough of Hoshido's customs to know what I've failed to do. Please pardon me. But if I haven't, then feel free to sit, really. It's kind of awkward to sit here while you all stand. I can stand if that's what you like though," Robin listed, confused.

Sakura finally made a move, leaning forward to sit on her shins, folded at the knees. Since she was still connected to Takumi, her brother went down with her, assuming a similar position. Corrin sat next, crossing her legs in what Robin assumed was standard in Nohr, as opposed to the folded leg position the Hoshidans kept up. Azura was last, lowering herself slowly and without sound. Still, no one spoke, and Robin could feel the tension growing.

Finally the reason for their silence clicked.

"This is about what occurred with Izana earlier today, isn't it. And as much as I hate to be impolite, I do need a response on this. Because if you're just here to creep around, I think I'll go to the library where there are more books, more people to see, and more light sources to illuminate my readings."

The four royals glanced at each other, all with a unique expression. Takumi was accusing, Sakura nervous, Azura upset, and Corrin a mix of emotions. Much to Robin's relief, a reply came.

"What was that prophecy?" Azura asked, hurt in her eyes. "Who are you, Robin?"

Evidently she didn't trust him. It was only fair - she had revealed so much to him in the morning while he provided nothing in return. Nothing personal, anyway. Sure he had given her useful information, but she could have found it anywhere provided she tried hard enough. Now Robin was trying to deflect any and every question aimed at his person and personal life, which was an unequal revelation.

"...I told you. I'm an amnesiac. The first thing I remember is waking up on a field-"

"With Corrin, Azura, and Jakob over you. Yeah, we get it. Sakura already told me. You don't have to say it again. But there's something else there, isn't there? You have to remember at least something; have some idea of where you came from or what you used to be like," Takumi butted in, putting words in Robin's mouth that he wasn't going to say and weren't entirely accurate. Robin would be honest about that. Partially.

"That wasn't how I was going to finish my sentence. But to answer your question… yes, I have some 'memories.' I can't tell if they're true or if they're just figments of my imagination, stories I made up in attempt to fill the blank space left in my head when my real memories disappeared. Nothing I've found in this land has coincided with them, however. Not a single thing mentions the names I dream of, nor the landscape or even the continents. The legends and events couldn't have possibly occurred here, and are downright contradicted in a few cases. As much as I hate to admit it, the things I call memories were likely just events I read in books and modified to fit my preferences. I can still tell you about them if that's what you prefer, though. Is it?" Robin skirted around the incorrect story of his awakening and aimed for the second part of Takumi's statement, the one concerning his place of origin. He knew his memories weren't just stories or tales his mind had conjured up, but that was the best way to explain them and a little fibbing was okay. It was true that he had found nothing relating to Ylisse not Arit while in Archaea, so he was still being honest. Just not completely. But his silence wouldn't hurt his royal companions. Hopefully.

"Yes please." Releasing her grip on Takumi's arm, Sakura straightened herself.

Robin had hoped the answer would be no. That wasn't the case, though, so he'd have to come up with some sort of explanation. Something that could satisfy their curiosity without revealing too much.

He told them the names of Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox, as well as their basic characteristics; wide open plains, dry endless deserts, and a snow white everlasting winter, respectively. There was a war that went on during his time there. He thought he participated. He was with Ylisse. Plegia was their enemy. Ferox was their ally. No mentions were made of the type of soldiers each group had, other than the fact that Plegia was known for dark mages, Regna Ferox mercenaries, and Ylisse Pegasus Knights. No single person was named, past Chrom, who Robin called his best friend. The way in which they met up was never discussed.

Valm, Rosanne, Chon'sin, and any other country not majorly involved in the first war stayed secrets known only to Robin; there was no reason for there to be two wars, so they would never ask him about that unless he later slipped. That could be explained by him having more dreams of a fragmented history he was unsure of and couldn't remember if he had mentioned. Robin had been part of a rag tag band of… something fighters. Maybe freedom. Maybe defense. Maybe something else. The outcome of the war was not directly stated. Robin said he wasn't sure who was considered the winner. After all, in Ylisse Chrom's forces were named the winner; Regna Ferox had it listed a draw given both Ylisse and Plegia lost their leaders; Plegia's statement was confusing when it had been given to Robin, as they acknowledged that Ylisse gained the upper hand at the end and that tides were turning against Plegia, but did not directly state that the Ylisseans had won the war. Of this confusion of victory, Robin mentioned not a single thing. He gave them chances to ask, but aside from the occasional clarification statement asked for by Corrin or Azura, bite by Takumi, or question by Sakura, Robin was uninterrupted. He didn't reveal much more than he intended.

Not that it mattered though. He had already dug himself deep into a hole. Corrin was a very forgiving person - she would let the whole thing slide after a short time. Sakura seemed incapable of holding grudges. Takumi was suspicious of everyone so Robin couldn't really bring himself to care. After all, apparently the prince used to practically curse Azura's name if her story was any indication, yet he was now agreeing with her in interviewing Robin, so he could at least work through disagreements. Azura was the biggest problem. She was reasonable though. She would switch to his side soon. Hopefully.

With a yawn, Sakura signalled the end of the session. Takumi insisted that she get some sleep once she did, saying she shouldn't exhaust herself over something so… something. Takumi had trailed off, so whatever he was going to say was lost. Azura went off to get ready to sleep. Corrin stood, but remained.

With the room empty of their companions, Corrin asked Robin a different sort of question as he stood to join her.

"Uh, Robin. Why are you with us, exactly? I know you're pretty committed at this point, and it's not that I want you to leave or anything, but I don't really understand why you've stayed. Please know I mean this in the politest way possible. I'd just really like an answer."

Robin took in a breath. That wasn't the sort of thing he had expected her to say. He could still answer, though. Maybe with some humour. "I've said this before, and I'll say it again. When I woke up, you were the one over me. You were the first thing I saw. You know how baby ducks imprint on whatever it is they see for their first few minutes of life, following that thing, typically their mother, until they know how the world works and have grown? You can sort of think of it like that. I saw you, decided you were the most important thing around, and followed. When I woke up on that field, sure, I could have left you alone and walked off on my own. But where would I go?"

"To the town that was nearby," was the immediate response.

"And do what?" Robin asked. Corrin began to respond, but Robin cut her off. "That doesn't need an answer. Because let's say I did go to the town. What would I do there? I could beg for money and food. I surely don't appear to be Hoshidan, so hardly anyone would have helped me. I didn't know the value of currency before you guys told me, so I would have been ripped off. Maybe I would have starved, or been mugged. I was unarmed, after all. With the tensions between Hoshido and Nohr as they are, I don't doubt it would occur. The only reason we weren't mugged was because you, Jakob, and Azura were obviously armed, and two of you were wearing armor. As nice as Hoshido is, there are bad people lurking wherever you go. Even in paradise you'll find someone hunting for more, preying on those around them to get it.

"The main reason I went with you, though, was for a sense of purpose. I don't know what I would do had I not joined you. Say I did somehow manage to establish myself; avoid getting mugged, keep my money, make friends. What would I do? Raise… whatever sort of livestock exists here? Work in a library? Make trinkets and knick knacks to sell at market? I don't know. But when I went with you, that choice was made for me. I didn't have to think about the mess my life was and what is have to do - I could just borrow your purpose, follow your cause, and be worry free. Well, as worry free as one can be when they're participating in a war.

"I don't mind it though. To travel and to fight is exhilarating. I absolutely love it. Plus, I'm good at it. I know how to do it. I have no idea how to milk a cow, or how to make a wreath, or how to manage a business. But what I can do is swing a sword and power a tome, and move people like pawns on a chessboard to victory."

Robin took a deep breath, thinking back to his time with the Shepherds.

"Well, sort of like chess but hopefully without the sacrificing part. Someone I used to play would do that all the time. He won every single game for a while, but would always have the least amount of pieces left. I'd have the most for a majority of the match, but he would always trap my king, frustrating me to hell and back. It didn't work out forever though. I never won a game without him claiming at least a few pawns or a castle, but eventually I started to best him consistently. Sacrificing all his units wouldn't gain him victories after I figured it out. There also comes a point where you stop worrying about the pawns, and instead go for the knights and bigger units. Capture the king, and the game is over. The pawns can't act without him.

"It's the same in real battle. If you kill the general, then the soldiers have no leadership and destroy themselves. Their strategies fall apart, they argue, they confuse themselves, and the army is defeated. Victory is most easily achieved by eliminating the leaders and letting the minions ruin themselves. Right now we have one leader. You. If you're defeated, we all are. Your position is not something we can get away from nor something we _should_ get away from, but we should start trying to appoint some other 'leaders' within the group. Our little army is still pretty divided, as Jakob doesn't get along with the Hoshidans, and vice versa, and Takumi clearly doesn't like Azura, putting he and his retainers against her. Oboro looks like she'd be happy dancing on a pile of Nohrian corpses even if Takumi wasn't as he is. Hayato can get along with Sakura, but he's uncomfortable around most of the others bar Rinkah, who gets into arguments at the drop of a hat and could worsen things. Kaze follows you to a pretty intense degree too, so I think he'd lose confidence in himself were you to be defeated, which considering he's one of the more level headed people with us, could cause problems. Choosing who to give some more power and set up as a director will have to wait until the group's melded some more, but we shouldn't wait too long. Until then, we're all counting on you to lead the way. Including me. You're my purpose right now, after all."

Corrin blushed deeply at Robin's words, the color plainly shown on pale cheeks and complimented by red eyes. Her face had shown a flurry of emotions during Robin's speech, finally resting on the blushing bride type expression it currently had. Her hands clenched at her sides and she bit her lip, looking anywhere but at Robin. After a few moments she unclenched her right hand, and moved it to hold the elbow of her left arm, clenching it once more.

Taking in a deep breath, Corrin tensed momentarily before releasing her tightened muscles and letting out a large sigh, turning her gaze to Robin.

"I'm honored that you want to stay and that you think I'm that great, Robin. But really, I'm not. I may seem like the leader of this army, but what have I really done? I haven't suggested we go anywhere - that's all been you and Azura - and you've decided how we would all act on the battlefield. The one time I did decide I almost messed everything up. If anything were to happen to me, you could probably just take over and have everything work out just as I have, really. And as for why you joined, I still don't see why you would take such a risk. I mean, yes I know you said that you don't know what you would do otherwise, and that you can fight and want to help out, but you could have just as well become a mercenary or something! You would be in much less danger, and..." A large exhale. "Robin, thank you so much for helping out. I don't know where we would be if you weren't here, or if we would have succeeded at all. I just feel like you're putting too much value in me, when all I've done is put you in danger."

Corrin's gaze wavered, and she shut her eyes firmly. Robin walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, tilting his head down to look at her eyes. When she didn't open her eyes, Robin sighed and let his arms drop along her own, head drifting forward to let his forehead touch hers as he hunched down slightly. Not much, since he wasn't the tallest and she wasn't the shortest (really he was short and she tall, but that wasn't the focus at the moment). Corrin opened her eyes at the contact, and Robin gave her a small smile, closing his eyes so he couldn't see however it was she reacted. She didn't move away though, that he could feel, so at least he wasn't bothering her too much.

It was an odd gesture, that he knew, but he felt it necessary. Corrin was beating herself up for no reason, and sometimes the best way to cheer someone up was by making contact. Her armor made it uncomfortable to hug the girl, anyway, so this was a lot nicer for Robin, even if his comfort wasn't the focus of the action. Plus, Corrin was a quirky girl. The head touch would probably do more for her than a hug, since a hug would be comforting, but a head touch would be (hopefully) comforting _and_ funny, so she'd feel better and laugh all the while.

Sure enough, a few giggles escaped the girl despite her sadness, and she shook. Bringing a hand to her face, Corrin tilted her head down until Robin's forehead was resting on her hair and headband, and put a hand over her face. When she took it away, her fingers were wet, small tears smeared across their edges.

"You have a weird way of cheering people up, y'know? Is that common wherever you come from?" With a small smile, Corrin crossed her arms and held back a few more giggles.

From the looks of it, Corrin's tears were a mix of happy and sad ones, so Robin didn't comment on them. "Ah, not necessarily. Once my friend - the guy I mentioned named Chrom - and I did that. He was the one that initiated it, and there was a lot larger difference in our heights than that between you and me. Well, when I looked up to check his eyes and see what he was doing, he pulled back for a second, smirked, and headbutted me. Unfortunately, we were in my tent, so I smacked into the wall and had the whole thing come down on my head. I can still hear his apologies from how loud and repetitive he was. Because it happened to be getting dark out, and my tent flap had been closed, so I had a candle lit, and when a tent collapses on a lit candle… let me just say that we had to share a tent for a while after, and that I got a good joke for the next few months."

Giggles turned into roaring laughter, and Corrin shot back another question: "But why in the world would he headbutt you if he was trying to make you feel better?! How is that effective?!"

"Beats me! I think Chrom just liked headbutting people or something. He's done it a couple times while we've been sparring, and I think I've seen him do it on the battlefield before, too. I think his main goal was to either get me to laugh, or to set up a joke about how he was 'trying to knock some sense into me' to get me to stop degrading myself. That ended terribly though, which is why I went for this route. It seemed a little safer. Of course, if you _want_ me to headbutt you, I can, but headbutting hurts and I don't really want a headache for the rest of the night, plus I don't think you'd like one either. Unless I'm mistaken?"

The sparkle in Corrin's eyes as she laughed lifted Robin's mood, and he could feel a grin spreading into a smile on his own visage.

"No, no, no, of course not! I very much like my non-bruised, no-headache head thank you very much!" Corrin waved her hands near her eyes, and changed her tone. "Mm. I do wish I could met this Chrom guy, though. He sounds really fun. I think we could be friends, too. W-well, from what I've heard, because I mean what you've said is all I know, so if I'm way off don't judge!"

Robin shook his head, assured her she wasn't way off and that Chrom and she would likely become fast friends (which would happen regardless of whether or not Corrin and Chrom seemed compatible, really. The only way to _not_ become Chrom's friend was to be a genocidal maniac with a thing for hurting people. Although Henry did fit that description to a point… basically the only way to get Chrom to not become your friend was by hurting innocents. Or by being a politician. Chrom always came back from council meetings looking like he wanted to stab someone, and occasionally putting names to the ones that would have been found the next morning with a blade in their back had Chrom not been a more controlled man), and Corrin let out a sigh of relief. If there was a way, Robin would love to introduce the two. But he had no idea where he was in relation to Arit and Ylisse, and didn't know how in the world, or rather worlds, he was supposed to get back. Where he was might have been some sort of outrealm for all he knew. In that case, the Chrom closest to him could be a different Chrom than he was familiar with. After all, there were the children of the Future Past, who had to have been different children than the ones born to Robin's timeline, since Grima was dead in one, and dominating in the other.

"Now then, you're feeling all better now, right? No more unreasonable self-doubt? Because whether you want to admit it or not, it really is unfounded. You're the only reason anyone has joined our cause at all. I've just guided the ones you've brought along. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, too. I'm sure you would have eventually gotten here without me, even if it took some more time or things didn't go quite the same. One of the most important things for a commander to do is look strong, so their soldiers don't worry and can fight unhindered. And one of the most important things a person can do is believe in him or herself, so they can love freely and their friends be relieved by the happy state of their companion. Got that?"

Corrin nodded. "You've said it over and over, so of course I've gotten it by now! But thanks, Robin. It means a lot."

In a good mood, Robin decided it was time to start showing off some of his better side. Namely, his funny-Robin side.

"A lot? To whom? And of what? Does it mean a lot of radishes? To Kaze? Or does it mean a lot of hugs to Sakura? Oh! Maybe it means a lot of gold to you! But can you really just sell my advice and positive words off like that? If so, then maybe I should quit this war business and make a living as a therapist. Although, staying in the war might help me, since more travel means more contacts… So I guess I'll stay until the end and become a therapist _after_ this is all over. I knew my true calling was out there! Man, thank you Corrin! I would never have found my destined occupation if it hadn't been for your words!" rambled Robin, grabbing Corrin's hands and bouncing up and down as he finished his talk.

Corrin stood as her arms were moved up and down my Robin's motions, frowning dramatically and removing her hands after a few seconds. When Robin pouted and stopped jumping, his companion flicked him on the side of the head. "Oh stop it, you! You know what I mean!"

Robin responded with a wink and a grin, prompting Corrin to sigh and roll her eyes. "Well, I'll be off then. Have a good night, Robin. I'll see you sometime tomorrow morning!"

"See you then. And thank you for the laugh, it was great."

Corrin snorted, and closed the door behind her as she took her leave.

After waiting thirty or so seconds for Corrin to get far enough away, Robin stretched out for a moment and let out a large yawn.

"Well, it looks like I still have some time to go over those scrolls. Not as much as I would have liked, but good enough. I wonder if any of them will relate to the prophecies…"

Robin read over the texts for several minutes, completely engrossed in what he was learning. It was almost all new to him, and extremely interesting subject matter, so he was highly enjoying the task he had set for himself. Back in Arit, during the time between the Valm and Plegian wars, he had spent a great deal of time reading up on both the Grimleal religion and the religion of Naga, finding them both to be intriguing in their own ways. That led him to researching all sorts of mythology that spanned past the legends held in the religious texts read by most worshippers and even priests, going all the way to obscure gods and goddesses even Libra hadn't heard of. For those he had had to travel, asking traveling merchants for locations of libraries which might hold the information he was looking for. He didn't travel for long, since he spent most of the two years in the castle, but he certainly didn't spend all of his time in Ylisse. Even during the wars themselves he had gone to bookstores and libraries he passed, purchasing and checking out all the religious books and texts he could find. The religions of Valm were much more diverse than those of the Ylissian continent, and Robin found himself disappointed in not being able to research more due to his death or disappearance of whatever his transport to Archaea was considered.

He was so engrossed, in fact, that Robin didn't notice there was another person in the room until he felt a small tap upon his shoulder.

"Gwuah!" he shouted, throwing the scroll in his hands and spinning around, looking up at whoever it was that had made contact with him. The scroll landed on his head as he got a glimpse of light blue hair, and Robin caught his breath, heart pounding. Calmly, he removed the scroll from its place upon his hair, and rolled it up, greeting the woman who had frightened him. "Oh, hey Azura. It's nice to see you there."

Azura looked guilty for scaring him, and let out a short apology. "I'm sorry for surprising you. I had been calling your name from outside your door for almost a minute, but you weren't responding, so I took the liberty of entering. I tried to step as loudly as possible, but you still didn't make any indication that you noticed my presence, so I figured the only way to get you to notice me was to make physical contact. Frightening you wasn't my intention, truly."

The princess was currently dressed in a loose white two piece set of what Robin figured were pajamas, and her hair was tied back, visibly wet. The pajamas were very boxy and of three-quarter length, neither the pants nor the sleeves reaching all the way down to her ankles or wrists. When Robin looked closer he noticed they had very faint beige stripes. Realizing it was odd to shove his face at her legs, he then decided to talk about something else.

"You sure? From what Sakura says, you tell a mean ghost story, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was just you trying to set one up…" Robin joked, gathering himself and motioning for Azura to sit down. She did, folding her hands in her lap as Robin sat with hands on his knees. She was again in that position he couldn't quite manage, so though Robin wanted to copy her to seem polite (as the position appeared customary in the region) he sat crossed legged yet again. He would master the heel sit one day…

"I'm sure, Robin. I am also glad you have so much faith in me. It is truly an honor."

"Anytime, anytime," the tactician responded, bowing slightly from where he was seated before changing topic. "I seem to be quite popular tonight. So, what is it that brought you back here? Was it something you remembered, or was it something you didn't want to say in front of the others?" Robin gained a no-nonsense sort of tone with the end of his words. It was late, and he wanted to be done sooner rather than later so he could get some reading on before he had to sleep.

Azura looked at him for a moment, prolonging his wait purposefully. Maybe she had just come back to spend some time with him? Possibly, but unlikely. The thought was abolished moments after when she began to speak.

"Earlier today, or I suppose yesterday at this point, when Izana gave his prophecies- no, even before that; when Izana mentioned your soul and the things he saw, what he was saying was truly shocking. But you didn't look shocked. You looked scared. And not the type of scared someone gets when they're told something they haven't heard that can hurt them. The type of scared someone gets when something is mentioned that they tried to hide away or thought was gone. Terror from realization. Realization and recognition. You already knew about what he was saying, at least to some extent, and you were terrified that someone else could figure it out.

"I know you have your reasons for secrets. We all do. But Robin, that sounds dangerous, and I'm worried for not just your sake but for all of ours. Remember what you said after the conditioning in Fort Corrin? That I needed to tell you about my singing because it would affect everyone in the army? You're too smart a person to be such a hypocrite without good reason. And while you may think you have good reason, there is no good reason to keep silent in a situation such as this about a circumstance such as that. So please, Robin. Give me some sort of hint. I won't pass it on if that is what you wish, but with the situation surrounding our enemy… if you cannot give a sufficient explanation, then I don't know if I can give you my complete trust. Our enemy is from a foreign land and appears from nowhere, just as you are a foreign man with no past that suddenly appeared in a field one day.

"The others will begin to put together the pieces of the puzzle you have dropped along the way, and depending on what you say tonight I will either pick them up and discard them before anyone else sees, or I will point out every puzzle piece I pass and every out of place movement you make. I am not very good at being harsh, but this war is very personal. Our goal is very personal. I cannot let it be ruined by such a dangerous unknown."

The two hearts in the room, once beating at almost the same tempo, ran out of synch. As Azura went on about what she felt and what she would do, the pounding in Robin's chest increased at such a rate he wondered what would happen if he were to be cut at that moment. Would the blood, being pumped so fast and so hard through his body, spurt out due to the high force and propulsion behind it? And was it that his heart was beating so fast because he had stopped breathing and it was cycling the remaining oxygen in his blood the best it could, meaning he'd drip almost black? The less oxygen in the blood, the darker it was. Though when one stopped breathing their heart slowed too. It didn't go on some sort of death rampage.

'Oh Naga why. Why did I have to become the closest person to one of the most observant members of the army? Although I suppose Azura's better than Jakob or Kaze.'

If they had been there when Izana spoke of what he saw in Robin, the tactician would be bleeding from several puncture wounds already. Both were smart. Both were protective of Corrin. Though they also took everything she said with a grain of sugar (how would you describe the opposite of taking something with a grain of salt? Salt is sour and sugar sweet, and the two practically idolized everything that came out of the white haired princess' mouth. The opposite of doubt, whatever that was).

He felt sick to his stomach. His excuses were failing. He wasn't around a bunch of idiots. Silly and strange as they were, they were all competent soldiers and people. The Shepherds hadn't been idiots either.

'No, not hadn't. _Aren't_.' Robin thought, correcting himself. 'No one died in that fight with Grima except me, and Naga promised she'd transport everyone away once the battle ended. Naga wouldn't let them fall to their deaths when Grima faded away, or crashed to the ground, or did whatever he did when I killed him. She's… more… something... than that.'

The blood having a joy run through his body wasn't making it to his skull, because Robin's head pounded, his stomachache becoming even worse. Thinking about how things were falling apart wasn't helping him in the slightest, nor was imagining all his friends dying, rendering his attempts at saving them and his sort-of-death pointless. Not that he was doing a very good job imagining that. It was hard to concentrate when one felt so out of sorts.

"Robin, are you okay?"

Robin snapped his head up to look Azura in the eyes, probably with a panicked look on his face that he hadn't thought to steel before moving.

"You were looking at me for a few seconds-" Azura supplied, forehead creased with worry "-before you started moving your gaze down to the ground. I thought that it was just your way of thinking, but you're gripping your pants so hard I'm worried you might rip the fabric. And I think your lip is bleeding from biting down on it so hard as well. I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you distress."

Robin shook his head, which unfortunately made the pounding worse.

"I'm fine, Azura. I'm feeling a little under the weather is all." Claiming she didn't want to cause him distress after her little speech made Robin want to scoff. Who says something like that and thinks the person it's directed at will be happy to receive the information? Azura was guilty though, and Robin felt guilty as well for making her apologize multiple times in one night. "But, uh, I'll try to answer your question the best I can. In the memories I have of my home - and by the way I'll just say 'back home' from now on for convenience's sake - there was this… cult of sorts. They weren't exactly the official religion, but they operated out of Plegia. I don't think they had followers anywhere else. Anyway, they employed dark mages by the dozens, or maybe hundreds. Their offshoots, the less intense people who worshipped normally rather than to cult intensity, might have even numbered in the thousands. I'm not sure. Regardless, they specialized in dark magic, and with it, curses. Curses and spells that would never be found in tomes, the types passed down in the family line that included some really questionable practices.

"I knew two dark mages that had interacted with members of the Gr- of the cult, and they were both pretty well informed in the area of hexes and curses. They noticed something was up with me. Then there's the fact that my outfit was pretty close to one of theirs. One of the mages was male and the other female. The female was in a pretty thin outfit, but the male was in some heavy robes. Heavy robes with some of the same designs as my coat has. Designs that he says are commonly worn by members of the cult. And dark mages in general, but I carried a thunder tome with me, not a dark, so that didn't match up.

"We also passed by some religious tapestries during the war. They looked familiar, even though only a few members of the group, namely a priest of the opposite religion, the dark mages, a scholar, and an… older, well traveled woman, recognized them. The other Ylissian commoners didn't bat an eye at the images. Well, actually they did since the images are pretty odd, but not in a way of recognition.

"Continuing on, we met the head of the religion one day. He recognized me. But it was too late- he already had decided not to tell me a word. You see, we had met once before, before I knew who he was. When we met, he was some crazy old man trying to kill someone I wanted to protect, and I was an annoying pest in his way. That was when he said he recognized me, but I was too angry to pause and ask him how. That second time he refused to say anything about my past. He said that he might have mentioned me looking familiar, but that it was probably because I was dressed in traditional cult robes and had an appearance common in Plegia. An appearance I only ever saw on one other guy, being the dark mage traveling with me, but I didn't object. I was really in no place to be arguing with a king." Robin's encounters with Validar weren't things he liked to think about, so he decided to finish up his story.

"Ah, I've been rambling. To cut it short, I think I was involved in some creepy cult at some point in time, but I don't remember when, for how long, and so on" Robin did not mention that he remembered why. "The members of the cult practiced old, unique magic, so I may have been subject to that at a young enough age that it left a mark on my soul or spirit or whatever it is. That's about all I can say. Is that satisfactory?"

Azura brought a curled fist to her lips, shaking her head.

"Almost." His long speech hadn't been up to her standards, apparently. "You also said something curious. When Izana mentioned fate, you said that it could be changed. Something you were sure of because you claimed to have done it before. How do you know you changed fate? That you went off destiny's path?"

Robin was caught by surprise, and tried to think of a response. His original comment had been an automatic reaction, so he wasn't really sure how to answer her question.

"That...I don't think destiny originally intended for me to be here. It's such a random thing, after all. Fate probably had me continuing on my way in my homeland, yet here I am. My being here broke what fate had in store. I won't let fate boss me around though. I'll decide my own fate, and I'll help you all choose yours as well." With a determined expression, Robin shook his fist like Corrin had on several occasions. "Have I earned the Azura satisfactory stamp of approval, then?"

Azura nodded, then rose.

"Yes. Thank you for this talk, Robin. You're such an interesting person. I think that one day you should use your conveniently selective memory to write a book."

With a swish of her drying hair and the snap of a shutting door, Robin was left alone, eyes wide. Azura was bombarding him with surprising words and actions. She was showing off a much more confident side. One that wasn't working too well for him at the moment.

'My conveniently selective memory, huh? I'll have to work on how conveniently selective my memory is, then. Maybe I'll throw in a few random facts then. Or skip over things. And maybe explain a story, leave out a few details, and catch myself in the middle to go back and fill them in like I suddenly remembered they existed. That should help.'

Confident that no one else would bother him, Robin spread his things across the floor and got reading.

* * *

Morning came and went, and it was afternoon by the time Robin woke up to cold water on his face and hair, making him tell once again. Standing over his body was Jakob, who was frowning slightly.

"W-what the hell did you do that for!?" Robin yelped, shaking his head like some wet dog and making water fly everywhere.

A few droplets made the noise of hitting paper, and Robin let in a sharp breath, turning away from Jakob to survey the ground around him. Thankfully the liquid had only hit his notes. Though the tactician was so tired he didn't quite make it fully into his bedroll, he had been awake enough the night prior to blow out the candle and arrange the materials he had borrowed to the side a few feet away. They were untouched by the water. Which was good, because Robin had no idea how he would have explained to the Izumans that he'd wrecked their precious ancient irreplaceable documents if they had. The paper was old and easy to rip, and the ink faded enough that even intense moisture could make them unreadable due to ink spread.

"It's time to leave. Lady Corrin told me to come collect you, and you weren't waking up. Your person was just rolling around, lollygagging and snoozing away valuable daylight hours. It is already past noon. About half of us have finished eating, with the rest almost done with their meals, so I would hurry up if I were you. You have half an hour to get your things and take your meal. Good day."

Jakob took his leave then, his expression unchanging. Azura had said she was satisfied, so she wouldn't have said something incriminating, would she? Was it one of the others then? Or had the butler gotten jealous of seeing Corrin spend so much time with Robin and not Jakob himself? It was a questions he didn't know the answer to. But that wasn't important. At the moment he had to change into something dry, return the what he had borrowed to the Library of Izumo, and grab some late breakfast. Or lunch. Past noon meant it was lunch regardless of whether or not he had eaten breakfast.

Sighing, he started on his way.

* * *

In the end, Robin had only managed to grab an apple of a tree he had passed to fill his growling stomach. The main librarian hadn't been in when Robin visited, since he was on lunch break, and the assistant in his place was completely incompetent. She hadn't recognized what the texts in his hand were, nor did she know where they went. She hadn't even realized there were those types of texts in the library! By the time Robin was able to leave, the main librarian had returned, and apologized profusely for his assistant. Apparently she was the replacement assistant since the normal one had been injured in the attack and couldn't attend work. Plus, it was her third time ever attending, and she didn't go to the library often at all. The job was one she earned by bloodline, not merit, it seemed.

The librarian had only ended up taking up another two to three minutes of Robin's time with his apologies, and Robin was suffering for it. Quite literally, he thought, as his stomach ate away at food it wasn't filled with and gave him annoying cramps.

"Ah, Robin, glad you could finally join us!" Jakob said with a smirk, earning a glare from Robin. The butler must've known about the librarian situation. Or at least of the food situation, because the cook had told Robin that "some gray haired Nohrian" had asked him to give the remaining lunch items to the other members of the castle, leaving nothing for Robin. Nothing but a starfruit, which Robin absolutely hated. A hate that he had mentioned to Jakob on their way over to Izumo.

Done with the way Jakob was treating him, Robin walked up to the butler to tell him how he felt. "Okay, Jakob, I've had enough. What the hell did I do? Did I wrong you somehow? Or did I do something to Corrin you didn't like? Because you've left me confused here, and I don't know how to apologize for something I may or may not have done in the first place."

Darkness seemed to envelop his surroundings. "Did you do something to Corrin? Is that seriously a question you feel the need to ask? You know the answer to that, cur," snapped Jakob, who finally dropped his smile.

"Actually, I don't. I was hoping you would explain so I could properly apologize," Robin responded.

He raised an eyebrow while taking a step forward, and Jakob's lost smile turned into a scowl. The butler had a habit of overreacting to anything that hurt Corrin, and while Robin could deal with it most days he just wasn't up to it at the moment. Jakob really needed to learn to take a break sometimes.

"Last night after leaving your room, Lady Corrin's eyes were red. Not just the irises, but the rims. She was crying, and certainly for a long time. I know you caused it. And since you made Lady Corrin cry, it's only fair that you suffer as well. And do not try to deny it, she was upset the entire evening, though it may have faded after she spoke to you. But by that time it likely only changed to a calm because she could no longer deal with the pain you brought to her." Jakob's words were full of venom, and he practically bit at Robin with each sentence. The gray haired man was getting confrontational, stepping forward every few seconds. "If I see you so much as look her way today, you will find yourself severely regretting it and wishing you were blind."

Robin had to hold back a snarky retort to Jakob's attack. Though his vocabulary and phrasing may have been advanced, that didn't stop Jakob from sounding like an eight year old throwing a tantrum whenever Corrin came up.

Takumi and Azura were currently engaged in conversation with some well dressed men who Robin could only assume were part of the nobility of Izumo (or at least upper class), and Sakura was speaking with Subaki and Hana so Robin couldn't get them to help. His only choice was Corrin then. Unfortunately, she was nowhere in sight. Although that may have been a sign of good fortune instead. Jakob seemed quite serious about his warning of staying away from looking at Corrin, and Robin didn't want to be in the receiving end of whatever else he came up with.

A hand on their shoulders made both Robin and Jakob turn around, coming face to face (to face) with Corrin herself.

"Am I glad to see you two! How'd you sleep last night? This palace is wonderful, and I think a year got added to my life from the great rest I got! Especially thanks to you, Jakob. That tea you thought me was fantastic. I don't think I would have slept half as well if I'd gone tealess. So thanks a ton, it really meant a lot to me." With her head tilted to the side and a wide smile, Corrin's positivity made it hard to stay annoyed.

Jakob blushed at her comment, and began stammering a reply before he was interrupted by his mistress. "Oh and Jakob, I really hope this isn't too much to ask, but do you think you could get some more of whatever it was you used to make that tea? You mentioned it was a local herb, and I'm worried we won't be able to find a similar one for a while. That was some of the best tea I've ever tasted, so it would be such a disappointment to have to wait until the war is over and we come back to try some more. So…?"

"Of course, Milady!"

Jakob ran off into the nearby woods, and Corrin sighed as soon as her servant was out of sight.

"Is he really that overbearing? I'm sorry you have to deal with that," Robin said, trying to comfort his friend.

Corrin blinked. "Overbearing? Not at all! It's just that… well, he's been feeling kind of useless lately. Especially after the last battle, where I got hurt to the point of getting knocked unconscious, and he couldn't do anything about it. He was beating himself up about not only being unable to protect me, but about being so useless he couldn't even heal me, leaving the job to some teenage princess we've only just met.

"There was another time, before we met, where he wasn't there and I got hurt. I'm not sure how much has been explained to you, but the whole reason I had to choose between Nohr and Hoshido was that I was double kidnapped. First as a child like you know, but I was also re-kidnapped and taken to Hoshido not too long ago. They got me after an inspection mission Fa- King Garon had sent me on, to check out a fortress by the border. I was there with Gunter, Jakob, and this mean guy named Hans. The fortress was occupied and we battled, eventually winning. When the four of us tried to leave, Jakob got caught behind, meaning Gunter, Hans, and I were left alone on one of the bridges above the canyon. Hand knocked Gunter off and fled, and I almost fell too. That time Lilith saved me, since Jakob was gone. But it was only temporary as I was almost immediately taken by Rinkah to Hoshido. That was two failures in Jakob's mind, two failures he can't forgive himself for.

"Then in Hoshido my mother died, and I was once again attacked. I would have lost myself if it weren't for Azura. Jakob was gone, so there was failure three. When it came to choosing between Hoshido and Nohr I refused both, and Jakob finally came back, defending me. That redemption wasn't enough to overcome his past failures though. And when I dismissed his worries after finding you, I think it terrified him. Or humiliated him, since I was saying he was wrong. That started his dislike of you. You were the reason for the dismissal after all. And in the recent battles it's been you and I at the forefront. When we were in… _that_ place that can't really be… well, you know, you figured out the teleport spaces by throwing rocks at him, and I giggled. I laughed at his getting hit and humiliated. He was the butt of a joke I was enjoying and he wasn't.

"If you add all those things together, It makes sense. I think he feels like he's useless, like he's been humiliated and outperformed by some new guy with questionable origins, and he doesn't know how to respond. All he can do is try to make your life bad so you drop out of the spotlight, which he can hopefully take up. Although I guess he wouldn't exactly be taking the spotlight, as he doesn't typically enjoy that. He just doesn't want his spot as number one Corrin helper to be taken, because he's been there for years and doesn't know what else to do with himself. If he loses that he loses everything his life has worked up to. So try to go a little easy on him, okay?

"That's the whole reason I sent him on the little tea trip anyway. I do like the tea, but that trip is more than I think is worth it. It makes him happy though and right now he needs it, so I don't mind. I just hope he's back in time for the march. Being late would probably kill his mood," Corrin explained. Robin could understand, so he voiced it in his reply.

"I guess so. Ah, I can be pretty inconsiderate, can't I? I'll try to get better about that, and to not be so harsh on the guy. Which reminds me, where are we marching to exactly?" Robin asked. The night before everyone had been either so upset about Izana's death or so suspicious of Robin that their next destination hadn't come up.

"Where are we…? I… I have no idea, actually. Do you think Azura knows?" Equally clueless, Corrin rubbed her head with a grimace.

"Mitotsu," Kaze supplied, popping out of the shadows. Robin jumped slightly at the sudden voice, while Corrin 'eep'ed and threw up her hands.

"How do you do that Kaze? Normally I can hear people coming, especially with my _useful_ large ears you guys were making fun of, but I couldn't tell you were there at all until you spoke!"

The green ninja shook his head, and commented that it was a family secret he had no place sharing.

Robin was curious as to where and what this Mitotsu place was, so he voiced his question to Kaze, who answered clearly and concisely. It was to the Southwest, a week or so away. Apparently there was a library surpassing even that of Izumo there, which the group hoped to gain information of. In addition, it was a transportation hub, and the crossroads for several trade routes, meaning a great many travelers would be there. By talking to the travelers they could gleam information on what other places with prophecies or ancient texts were, and could head out. Even better, there was a large temple in the town, full of priests and other clergy who would possibly be able to help interpret Izana's prophecies for the downed man. The library attracted scholars as well, so academics specialized in religion would also be staying there. Overall, it sounded like a fantastic place to visit.

Thanking Kaze, Corrin dismissed the man. With a short nod he disappeared in a puff of smoke. How the Hoshidan ninja did that Robin wasn't sure, but he was determined to find out sooner or later. A few seconds later Kaze's place was filled by Jakob, sweating but holding a very full bag that Robin hadn't noticed earlier.

"I've gotten you all the herbs for your tea as you asked, Lady Corrin. Is there anything else you require?" The butler said, trying very hard to steady his breath. It seemed the man had sprinted the entire way as fast as he could, and Robin admired Jakob for it. If anything, he was determined. A man that Robin was glad to have by his side, even if he could occasionally be a pain.

Corrin's army finished their preparations, and began to set on their way. Mitotsu was a six or seven days' march if weather wasn't a problem, so they wanted to go as fast as possible. Given they were armored and carrying supplies, Robin estimated they would go at a pace of about twenty miles per day. Mitotsu was around one hundred-twenty kilometers from Izumo, so six days seemed the best estimation.

"W-wait!" someone cried as Robin finished walking to the rear of the group to ask Subaki about using his pegasus to carry some extra supplies.

'No, it can't be…' Robin thought, slowly turning to face the source of the voice.

There in pajamas, held up by Katsa, was Izana. He was looking terrible, as to be expected by almost dying, and Robin was speechless. "Be… before… you go," Izana coughed, reaching out a hand, "let me t-tell you… one more th-thing. Don't… beat your-self up ab-bout the p-aas...t. I tr-ust you, so…" Izana erupted into another coughing fit and collapsed, Katsa's support being the only thing keeping The archduke from hitting the floor. "I'll tell you… later. See ya… th-e-en…"

Eyes fluttering, Izana went completely limp, and Katsa started scolding the archduke's unconscious body.

"Izana's…?" Robin was unable to collect himself enough to form a full sentence, so he trailed off.

"Alive, yes, but barely. He probably won't be getting out of bed again for a few months yet. He downed several elixers, oltmos, and cups of coffee before coming out here, and though it meant he was able to get out a few words, it's definitely going to make him feel horrible for the next few days minimum. When he first woke up he mentioned that he heard the voice of a god he didn't recognize again, and that it was her that saved him. I don't remember the name, but I think I will add in a prayer to her every time I kneel down from now on, for helping preserve the life of our great archduke. I wish you luck on your journey, Robin. May the gods be with you."

Robin nodded dumbly, and moved to join Corrin. He'd inform her of his encounter with Izana while they made their way to Mitotsu. Hopefully weather would stay out of their way.

* * *

 **Author's note: That was the chapter! And yes, I know, _nothing_ happened. Nothing particularly plot important, at least. But I've had quite a few reviews concerning lack of explanation and wishing for some clarification, so I felt like I needed to include it. I was planning on doing something like this anyway, but your reviews motivated me all the more to get on it (so if you guys want something or are curious, I do read reviews to check for things to include or take into account). This is way longer than I had intended, since I originally figured it would take about 3-4,000 words, but I have trouble cutting down on my writing and what's done is done. **

**And about Izana- I think his death in the actual game is silly, and only included so there could be some way to recruit Fuga. I suppose it was a big part of convincing Takumi to join, but I still feel it could have been executed better. He may or may not come back later, but right now I'm just keeping my options open. I'm also curious as to how you all feel about Izana surviving in this story, and if it surprised you. Please leave a review about it or anything else if you have the time! Thanks for reading. Originally posted November 15, 2016.**

 **Word count, pre AN: 9,890**

 **Eruran out.**


	10. A Flaming Distraction

**Author's Note: Have you guys ever heard of NaNoWriMo? Probably. Well, this month I decided I'd try it out, but for fanfiction rather than an original work (If you don't know, the goal is to write 50,000 words all in one month). This decision I made... on November 13th. Way late, which means I've had to write almost double the regular word count per day. Because of this I've had to write 3,000 words a day and oooh boy have I gotten myself into something. Not only have I had to write 3k a day for a while, but since I skipped two and a half days (7,500 words), now I'm doing a big rush at the end to finish in time. This is part of it, as was half of the last chapter. Also, this chapter coming out 10 days after the last is because it took me a whole month to get out the last one. To those of you who celebrate it, I hope you had a happy thanksgiving. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

Corrin had been overjoyed to hear the news of Izana's survival, and spent the rest of the day with a wide from on her face. Robin had asked her to keep the new living status of the archduke a secret though, so she refused to say a word to anyone who asked her what the reason for her positivity was. Robin wasn't so cruel as to keep them in the dark forever, though, and made a formal announcement concerning Izana being alive at the end of the first day's march. The group rejoiced, and when they went to sleep, an aura of excitement had spread itself throughout the camp.

The day had been uneventful, as was the next, and Corrin's army was in rather good spirits going into the third. Jakob had been visibly in a great mood since they'd departed, Corrin asking him questions every so often that he gladly answered. Robin trailed behind them as the pair spoke, trying to stay far enough away that he didn't ruin Jakob's mood, but close enough that he could hear what they were saying. Robin himself still wasn't all that familiar with the Cantan landscape and history. So when Corrin asked a question pertaining to them and Jakob answered, Robin was getting some useful information too.

By the third morning of their march, Sakura, Azura, and Corrin were all worse for the wear. Sakura was unused to the walking and had blisters on her feet, so would spend short stretches sitting on Subaki's pegasus rather than walking. Azura and Corrin, both barefoot, were starting to limp. They had passed through forests and rocky hills, covered in jagged rocks and branches. As such their feet were sliced and bloody. Sakura and Jakob had both attempted to heal them at the end of the day, and while Azura wouldn't reject the help, she also wouldn't ask for it. Corrin on the other hand shook her head and attempted to stop Jakob when he pulled out his staff, explaining that they'd need it for the upcoming battles rather than for healing feet. Grudgingly Jakob had agreed, pulling out a healing salve instead.

Hayato also looked uncomfortable and upset by day three, likely also being unused to the walking. As easy as walking seemed, walking for six or seven hours straight with packs was certainly not. Robin, Gunter, and Kaze all seemed to be doing the best. Robin had been on countless marches with the Shepherds after all, Gunter was once a member of the Nohrian army before being relegated to Corrin's servant, and Kaze was the one guiding them through the territory so it was clear he had traversed the path several times before.

Kaze had informed Robin on day two that they would pass a small village on their fourth day of travel, so Robin was planning on making a small stop once they got to it. The ninja had probably heard Robin muttering about how much of an idiot he was for forgetting to convince the girls to get good shoes while in Izumo. Regardless, Robin was grateful for the note.

Halfway through their third day Corrin paused the group, turning her nose to the sky. "Hey, do you smell that? It smells like something's burning. A weird something, but something alright."

Sniffing the air Robin could also smell the scent of something burning, and looked around to see if there were any flames nearby that could harm the group or prevent them from progressing. None were in sight. Subaki evidently had the same curiosity, as he hopped onto his Pegasus and flew above the branches to get a look around. Shouting down to the others, he explained what he could see.

"There's a huge plume of smoke about a mile away! It looks strange, though, so I don't think it's natural!"

The sky night flew back down and dismounted, pointing in the direction that Robin could only assume the smoke was coming from.

"Does anyone know what's over in that direction? Who has the map?"

Rinkah pulled it out and opened her mouth to speak, but a blur falling to the ground in front of her startled the woman, causing her to abandon the map in favor of her club. She let it down, however, when she saw that the blur was Kaze. The man was frowning intensely when Robin caught a glance at him.

"That's the way to Mokushu. They're known for their ninja, but have remained neutral over the course of the last few centuries. As long as we don't bother them, they should leave us alone. Now let's go. We should work on reaching Mitotsu as fast as possible," Kaze dismissed the signal in favor of pointing out the way, moving away from the direction Subaki was pointing in.

"Hey, wait right there!" Hana yelled, planting herself in front of Kaze. "What about the smoke? You were checking it out weren't you? Unless you were just having fun hopping through trees, but I don't think that's the case. So fess up, mister!"

Kaze's face didn't so much as twitch. He crossed his arms and turned around to glance up where the smoke was starting to become visible above the tall trees, having been pushed by the wind from its original location. He tilted his head slightly to glance at it, but otherwise didn't move at all. The ninja was being secretive which Robin didn't like, but secrets were secrets and some were best kept that way.

Though the streams that had been plentiful on the group's journey to Izumo had tapered off, the rest of The natural elements hadn't, and chirping birds kept silence from reigning. Rinkah was swatting at some bugs unconcerned with Kaze and the smoke, while Azura was whistling back to a green pheasant a few feet away. Corrin was looking back and forth between the bird and Kaze, trying to decide if she should focus on the former or the latter. Jakob and Gunter were concentrated on Kaze, while Subaki was looking at Hana, Sakura whispering to Takumi at his side. Hayato was standing with a frown.

"That smoke is only another reason not to go to Mokushu," Kaze answered blankly.

"And why is it that?" Subaki asked, joining Hana. As much as the two fought, they got along well enough that they'd side with one another whenever given the chance. As long as Sakura wasn't involved, that is. Then they'd abandon each other in favor of their liege.

Robin watched Kaze swallow and look away, sighing.

"That smoke is a signal from Saizo. One that warns of a large encounter in which he is far outnumbered. It's a signal to warn all allies away from the source, so that they don't get caught in the fighting as well. If he's sent that up... he isn't looking for help. He wants to help us, or anyone who he knows. It's best if we continue on our way. We need not sacrifice anyone else. Saizo… he knows what he's doing. We need to get going. So… just follow me and forget it. The sun has already begun its descent from the top of the sky, and it's only a matter of time before darkness is upon us and our march halted." Kaze's voice was filled with pain and regret. With the end of the words he tilted his head down and walked toward Mitotsu, biting his lip and leaving the others to follow.

Not hearing the crackle of snapping branches under his companions' feet, Kaze turned around, confused to see no one had moved. At this point everyone was looking at him, The ninja having earned even Rinkah, Azura, and Takumi's attention. Hana was the first to speak up.

"Kaze! You've got to be kidding me, right!?" she yelled, tearing up. Sakura and Hayato also had red eyes, and Robin could see Kaze's grown deepen as the ninja's eyes registered them.

"It's-" he began, cut off by Hayato's loud objection.

"It's wrong, that's what! He's your brother, your family! You can't just leave him to die? I… I don't know whether or not you have parents, but as siblings you have to be close. If it really is only the of you, then he's all you have. You can't up and let that go. I don't really have a family; all I have is Fuga who took me in after my family passed away. If he was in trouble, I know I would do anything to get him back. So don't abandon your brother when he's right there! What would he think about it!" Hayato was telling through clenched teeth, his fists shaking.

Before Kaze could get another word in, Sakura's young voice rang out in the forest air.

"I-if… if I knew my big brothers were in trouble…" she hiccuped, glancing at Takumi, "I don't think I c-could… stand by. If I were to l- to lose Takumi-i or Ryo-ma, I don't think… I…"

Unable to finish her sentence, Sakura clamped her eyes and mouth shut, tightening the grip she had on Takumi's arm. The younger Hoshidan prince pulled his sister into a hug with a mixed expression, biting his own lip.

"Look Kaze. You might not think it's a big deal, and that Saizo wouldn't want to be saved, but we want to. I don't want you to have to live with the thought that you could have saved him but didn't. Honestly, if Ryoma and I were ever on the battlefield and he told me to run, I would probably do it. But if he were to be badly injured or died, I don't think I would ever forgive myself.

"And if Saizo or your own life isn't good enough, think about how my brother would react to finding out Saizo died. Ryoma has two retainers. Of one were to die, then he'd be left at fifty-percent power. Plus, Saizo isn't only Brother's guard, but his friend. I know they grew up together so that Saizo could learn how to best protect my brother, but he was also one of the only people his age that Ryoma got to spend time with, and is probably the best friend he has. So please, just show us the way. For your sake, for Saizo's sake, and for Ryoma's."

Kaze's gaze passed over the forest floor and back up over the trees to the smoke drifting overhead. From the way the two had acted back in Fort Jinya, though they got along they weren't the best of friends. The two had shared a burn salve after Saizo's attempt at a suicide attack, but afterward had simply stared at each other without uttering a word. It hadn't even been Kaze's objection that had stopped Saizo from trying to burn them all down. It was Sakura that stopped the red ninja.

Whatever it was that caused the tension between the brothers, Robin didn't know. The disconnect between the two seemed deep but at least it didn't appear to be an outright dislike between the two. It was more that Kaze was trying to say something, but couldn't find the words. He certainly admired Saizo, but for some reason didn't want to admit it. Or maybe he felt insecure? And thought their relationship would get worse if Kaze disobeyed the order Saizo was giving to stay away through is signal?

"Well, Come on then! Away we go!" Corrin cheered, walking to the east. Which wasn't the way to anywhere as far as Robin knew. Izumo was to the north, Mitotsu to the south, and Mokushu to the west, so he had no idea what Corrin was doing.

Thankfully, Jakob walked up to Corrin and stopped her, whispering something into her ear. The armored girl blushed and turned sharply, hastily moving toward Subaki and his still raised arm. As she passed Robin he gave a low murmur of 'nice one.' Corrin made a face at that, and Azura laughed at the action. Rinkah scoffed at the childish action, quickly followed by a mirroring sound from Hayato. The boy was trying hard to be grown up. Robin was also considering telling the young diviner to 'grow up a little' and act his age by not trying to grow up at the speed of light. Hayato needed to learn to relish his teenage years a little more. Soon enough he'd lose them and be thrust into a world of expectations and responsibility that wouldn't work well with his normal attitude.

Robin didn't know how his transition from teenage years to adulthood had worked out, but that was mainly because he couldn't remember them. And because he still didn't know how old he was. Based off how he looked when he met Chrom and how old he was at the moment, he assumed he was 20, give or take a year. Chrom was 19 when they met and everyone he'd met had judged Robin to be younger, so Robin figured he must have been 18 or so at the time. And he could pass for 20 year just as well as 19 or 21, but 20 sounded better. If he really reached, he could pass for 22, but 23 was too old. And there was absolutely no way he was younger than 17 upon meeting Chrom. So 18 upon waking in the field and 20 at the moment worked out.

That was until he considered the fact that the war wasn't instantaneous. So… 17. He was a 17 year old about to turn 18 when he met Chrom. Because although the gap between wars was two years, there was still the time to fight the wars which made just over 3… That would still put him at 20, wouldn't it? An old 20, but 20. Although he wouldn't call it old 20. He wasn't ready to face the prospect of getting old and eventually losing combat ability just yet.

To make matters more confusing, whatever the day it was when he landed in Archaea certainly didn't match up with the date in Ylisse, and he had too much pride to ask anyone what the day was when he showed up. As such, he couldn't even keep a consistent log of the time passed since the Ylisse-field-awakening, which meant even if he figured out his birthdate somehow he was still screwed up. Did time in Archaea even flow the same as Ylisse? Would he even be transported back to the same year? Would it be the same day as he left Ylisse, or would it coincide with the time that passed in Archaea? But it hadn't been all that long, so hopefully it wouldn't cause problems. His main concern was his age. All the dimension-time-space-travel could be sorted out later.

Looking around to find Gunter to ask how old the knight thought Robin was, the tactician realized everyone had already left to follow Corrin further into the woods, and ran after them. Leaving Robin standing there was really cruel. What if he hadn't noticed until it was too late and lost them?! Did they think about that?

'On second thought, probably not. I bet Corrin noticed me zoning out again and decided to get revenge for my comment. She's smart enough to convince the others to leave me alone, while optimistic enough to believe I'd follow. That or she didn't consider me getting lost, but I'll leave that alone. If I mention that then someone's bound to start getting on me for having no sense of direction or something. And while I may not be a human compass, I'm at least not as bad as Chrom who almost led us to the Plegia border while trying to bring me back to Ylisstol that first time. If it hadn't been for Frederick pointing out our likely destination, we probably would have gotten there. But would it have killed him to make that comment _before_ we had spent six hours going in the wrong direction? Oh well, that was over three years ago… Too late…'

Stepping forward at last, Robin froze. Sure he had seen where the group was going and started to follow, but he had stopped after two seconds of running to think and now he couldn't find them.

'Crap, crap, crap, crap.' He repeated, listening intently for the sound of hooves and feet crushing branches. After a few seconds he located the sound and rushed to meet it before he lost them again. He needed to get out of his frozen thinking habit before it hurt someone.

Takumi turned to stare at Robin upon hearing the sound of the tactician's cloak flapping in the air behind him as he ran, causing Oboro and Hinata to turn to. Hinata had been talking to Hana about something, probably katana, and so she turned too. Hana had a hand on Subaki's Pegasus which was carrying Sakura yet again, so those two turned as well. Sakura's turn got Hayato and by extension Rinkah's attention, adding even more eyes to the mass looking at Robin. Oboro had accidentally hit Azura with her naginata as she turned, so the blue haired princess moved to look at her and thus Robin, making Corrin face her and Robin in the process. Corrin's movement drew in Gunter and Jakob, so by the time Robin had straightened himself everyone but Kaze was looking at him.

To say it was embarrassing was an understatement. Not only was he trying to catch his breath from sudden movement (which only took a few seconds, but was noticeable nonetheless), but he also had numerous twigs and flowers in his hair that had caught on his person as he frantically made his way over.

Someone opened their mouth to comment, getting out a small sound, but Robin immediately cut them off.

"Hey guys, don't just stand there. Look! Kaze's going to leave us behind if we don't get moving!"

With Robin's words, everyone turned to see the ninja was, in fact, powering on without slowing down in the slightest for his paused comrades. When Robin saw the first head begin to turn back to look at him, he sprinted up to Kaze's side, leaving some of the group confused, some laughing, and some shaking their heads. Apparently, today was really not his day.

Kaze didn't react, instead frowning as he pushed on ahead. Robin left the ninja in silence. Sparking up a conversation didn't appear to be the right thing to do at the moment, so he just took in his surroundings as they walked.

After a few minutes the group found themselves in front of a clearing, scorched but otherwise untouched as if no one had passed through. Had Robin not seen the smoke signal and known there was an intentionally set fire in the area, he would have taken the area to have been marred by a natural burn. A burn was all he could see though, and the tactician doubted he'd be able to find out any more information from getting in closer. Kaze must've seen something of note, though, as the ninja went up to the center of the burnt area, kneeling and rubbing his hands against the blackened dirt and scattered crisps of grass.

After a few second of examining the ground with his fingers, he stood up to walk around the burn. One of the big reasons Robin wouldn't have been able to differentiate the area from one hit by a natural fire was the spread and shape of the burnt area. It wasn't circular, nor did it look like anyone had put it out with some sort of powder or water.

Subaki had gotten back on his pegasus to fly around and scout the surrounding area, and after another minute or so of examination Kaze threw a shuriken straight up into the air to signal Subaki back. They were hoping the light glinting off the metal would cause draw the sky knight's attention, but it didn't work as he was facing the opposite direction.

"Uh, Kaze," Robin began, taking a step toward the other ninja but exercising caution in not stepping on any of the area hit by Saizo's warning signal, "if you don't mind me asking, how do you know which way to go?"

Kaze exhaled deeply, and responded in a tired voice: "I never said I did."

Robin started to apologize, but Kaze moved his hand up, finally taking it out of the crossed position that was his neutral state. "But, I can answer your question, just as I can tell you he went over in the direction of the river over there."

"You can?" Azura asked, surprised.

"Yes. On the ground, at the center of the burn, were three seed pods. The flowers they come from grow only to the area behind us, over the river, and to the right. Do you see those violet flowers, climbing up the lighter trees of the group to the right? Those are the ones. Some must have dislodged while he squatted to set up his signal. There was another clearing back the way we came that would have been much more convenient for my brother, so he couldn't have come from that direction. Not if he left the seeds. He wouldn't have been so careless had he enough time to backtrack. He must have known whoever he was moving to engage would act soon. That, or they were close enough on his trail that that was the best he could do. Either way, that removes an option.

"Had he come from across the river there would have been no seed pods, as they would have come off in the water and Saizo would have been completely submerged. If he was trying to eliminate his trail, that would be the best way, and I know from swimming with him numerous times that that's his preferred style by far. Like I said, he couldn't have had time to backtrack. Especially not through a river. The current is flowing away from here and the other side, so while he may not have had to directly fight it, he wouldn't have been going with it. That'd eat up too much time to pass twice.

"To the right there's a large drop off. An immediate cliff leading to a gorge. Though he couldn't survive the fall, he could have climbed down it. But that cliff wraps around. Remember the wall of rock we passed? The one that was open to our view for roughly half an hour? Given how recent these scorch marks are, Saizo would've climbed down it while the cliffside was in our view. Someone would have noticed him, no matter how discreet he tried to be. The only way to avoid the cliffs would be to curve onto our path, which we've already established didn't happen, or to cross the river.

"With all that taken into account, he definitely went over the river to reach where he is now. So if we wish to follow, we'll have to cross as well."

Kaze's voice dropped off, and Azura picked up.

"How do you propose we get across, then?"

The ninja shook his head at her words. "We don't. That river marks the beginning of Mokushujin territory. If we enter and start any battles, then regardless of whether or not it's in self defense and Mokushu's a neutral territory, we will be met with opposition. With Sakura and Takumi by our side, it will likely also hurt the Hoshidan name."

Robin's eye twitched at Kaze's words. Though they were mostly logical and well thought out, which Robin appreciated, the green haired man was missing one vital thing.

"Kaze," he asserted, motioning to the land across the river, "is it common knowledge that Saizo is Ryoma's retainer?"

He received a nod as Kaze gave his response, "At the very least it is known that someone by the name of Saizo serves the first prince of the Hoshidan Royal family. But we've encountered men who've recognized us all around Hoshido, and have met with the men of Mokushu before. I doubt it's otherwise."

"Then it doesn't matter whether or not we have Takumi or Sakura with us. With Mikoto dead, that basically means Ryoma is king of Hoshido now. Even if he hasn't officially been coronated. Everyone who knows of Mikoto's death, which I presume is practically everyone in Hohsido if not the world by now, knows that Ryoma is first to succeed her. Saizo is Ryoma's right hand. If he is fighting in Mokushujin territory, then he has already brought the power of the royal family, of the _king_ into Mokushu. And chances are he's brought it against troops belonging to Mokushu. Whether or not they're government or official backed is of no consequence. If he falls then Mokushu may just say that Hoshido tried to start a war with them, but failed under great Mokushujin might or however they might play it. If he succeeds, which I doubt he will without us, then he's the king's right hand attempting to expand Hoshidan territory by murdering the militia of an innocent nation.

"Our best bet right now is to come in and take him with us. If anything, his presence will get overwritten by the sudden appearance of Corrin's Army, and any and all damages will be attributed to us. If we succeed in alying the two major nations of the war and defeating the thing we aim to, then anything majorly negative we do will be glossed over. And if we, a mid-sized group, find evidence that Mokushu instigated the attack and did wrong, then we can avoid getting in trouble at all. What do you say?"

Murmurs of voices added to the rushing of the river and rustling of leaves by the clearing. Probably talking about what Kaze had figured out (in the cases of Hana and Sakura, who were having an intense conversation on Kaze's detective skills), or of the consequences of crossing the border (as Jakob and surprisingly, Subaki, were discussing). Kaze himself took a minute to consider, before asking Robin how best they should get across the river.

Calling Subaki over, Robin asked him if he could help ferry them using his pegasus. The Sky knight agreed, and took Sakura with him first. Gunter would have to either go around, or try to power through the river atop his horse. The knight was convinced he could do it though, and Robin had hopes so he'd let Gunter choose. And so Gunter started on his way, leading his horse straight through the river while Subaki flew above, taking the rest of Corrin's army one by one. Robin himself was the last one to get over, and looked to where Gunter was almost across, pushing his horse to the limit.

Shouting above the river, Robin asked the old man if he needed any assistance, but Gunter shook his head and kicked his horse on. Thankfully the part of the river connected to the clearing was extremely shallow, passing over a hill and decreasing in depth enough that the horse could… Well, it was probably paddling. Or maybe walking? Whenever Robin had come planned an assault that involved going over rivers, he usually just factored all horse riders out of the equation. Horses had never been his specialty anyway. Regardless, he was glad that Gunter had refused his offer. Mainly because he wasn't really sure how he could help the knight past having Subaki fly over and grab the man, but that probably wouldn't work anyway. Subaki certainly wasn't weak, but whether he had the arm strength to lift a fully armored, large, water laden man was another question. And even if he did manage to hoist the man into his pegasus, the mount itself wouldn't be too happy. Getting slapped (or almost crush in that case) with a giant piece- no, many giant pieces of wet pointy metal was not at all fun. Gunter would have to continue on his way.

There was another problem ahead, though. If the forest they had been crossing through was thick, then the one they were currently passing through was practically impassable. Gunter would have a hard time even after he got out of the water because of it. If Mokushu's center was in the middle of it, then the people were either extremely well versed in the ways of forest navigation and passage, or had some secret cut-through Robin wasn't seeing.

Sakura was glancing around at the riverbank staring at the giant trees before her.

"I-it's so dark… Do we really have to go in th-there? What if we… what if there are r-really big animals like… like bears or something?" she whimpered, leaning into Takumi who put an arm around her with an annoyed expression. One that softened after a few seconds as Takumi felt eyes leave him. He was probably happy she felt comfortable enough with him to do that.

Azura gave a short laugh and grinned. Or rather, smirked. With this dark and creepy forest, it was her time to shine.

"I don't know about that, but… We're not _on_ the border, but we're close enough to Nohr that some Faceless could have snuck in. Maybe well find some of those in the woods!" She told, throwing up her hands to earn a better reaction. The loud 'eep!' in the air want from Sakura though. It was from Hayato, who was clinging to Rinkah's arm.

"No. No, no, no. I did not come with you guys to fight… some… weird undead monster beasts that could maul me! Call me back when we're fighting humans! Humans!" He shook tremendously, and Robin had to try amazingly hard not to collapse laughing. Azura was much the same, and their eyes met as they both wiped away their tears that had come out while they laughed. Or tried not to, really.

By this time Gunter had finished crossing and was standing behind Jakob. The knight was soaking wet and his mount breathing heavily, but was otherwise fine. The only worrisome thing about him was that his boots made a squelching sound whenever he stepped from being waterlogged. And that wasn't even worrisome, but annoying. Although it was worrisome because it would get on Robin's nerves, and he was worried he wouldn't be able to stop himself from ripping the boots off Gunter's feet if it got too bad.

Their noises weren't what got Robin's attention as The group moved through the forest, though. The little squeaks and squeals coming from the younger members of the group did. Which included Sakura, Hayato, Corrin, and Hana. Hinata was too prideful to squeal, as was Takumi. Though Takumi was pretty jumpy too. He was just… Quiet about it. Like he had seen dark woods and scraggly branches and the bats that flew by on a regular basis, but was still scared of them. Robin would have to ask about that later.

The forest probably wouldn't have been as had had it been midday, but at this point the sun was starting to set, which greatly reduced visibility. Robin would've lit up a fire tome, but he didn't want to risk lighting their surroundings and accidentally trapping them. Burning to death sounded very unpleasant. He still held it as an option though. Depending on how long it took them to reach Saizo, extra light could become a necessity.

For now he would have to distract himself from the watery boots and squealy people in some other way than concentrating on keeping a spell up for an extended period of time.

Oboro was also looking at Gunter, so Robin chose her to be the one to talk to. She was both new and interesting, And he didn't know anything about her other than the facts that she was Takumi's retainer and hated Nohrians with a worrisome passion.

He waved a hand at her and walked forward, asking her what he figured was a standard question to follow a standard introduction.

"Hey there, Oboro. My name's Robin if you don't already know. It's nice to meet you!" He said, putting his hand in front of her to shake.

Oboro looked him up and down, and and scoffed "If you think I'm going to participate in one of your damn Nohrian rituals, you're wrong. I may stand by you, but I won't go that low."

Robin slowly and awkwardly lowered his hand, unsure of what to say.

"And don't you try to convince me you're not from Nohr," she continued, snarling, "I could name just about every style worn on this side of the Bottomless Canyon, and recognize all the others, so I know you aren't from around here."

Oboro hastened her pace, so Robin sped up to stay next to the woman.

"Ah yes, but that doesn't mean I'm from Nohr. I could always be from some other place in the West. Like maybe I'm a member of the ice tribe! Or from Mount Garou! Well, maybe not Mount Garou since I'm, ah, human, but you get the point. Because I really am not from Nohr, nor any place you've probably heard of."

"Say you aren't from Nohr. That doesn't excuse you. Everyone from that side of the Canyon is dirt. Is a murderer. And based off what I've heard from the others, you certainly are. No one's that cool their first time seeing someone die, and especially not their first time killing someone. So-" Oboro's eyes widened as she set them on Robin's hand for the first time, having only glanced over them momentarily when refusing his handshake. Or rather, her eyes widened as she set them on his glove. "Wait a minute… I know that make…" she whispered, grabbing Robin's hand and pulling both the glove and Robin himself toward her chest.

"Yeah! It is Nari's design! When did you visit her shop? She works the night shift. Plus she… Unless… it was _you_ wasn't it? The one who gave her such a generous payment! She mentioned that there was a weird foreigner who visited the store around midnight a week or two ago. She also said he had a clock with a design she'd never seen before, but really liked. One that resembled what Kisumi used to make all the time, but less traditional and more… whatever you'd call that. Kisumi would never use a purple like that though, and certainly not with a black base. But that was definitely you."

Oboro scrunched up her face and let out a small curse.

"Damn it! She was so happy after that. The shop had been pretty low on customers for a while, so she was having trouble buying supplies and apparently the coins she got were more than enough to stock up for the rest of the season. She had said that when she took the coins she thought they were single coins, not the multiple worth ones. In not sure what multiple, but whatever it was you gave her put a smile on Nari's face for the rest of the week. And she said the design inspired her to put out some new ones of her own too… Ugh, you're supposed to make me hate you, not like you! I shouldn't be fraternizing with Nohrians like this, but here I am."

"I already said-"

"That you're not Nohrian. I got it. Whatever you say. But making friends this quick with someone like you just isn't right. You haven't even said anything, for crying out loud! Except I've already heard good things about you from someone who didn't even know who you are or that we'd meet up! Oh well. So much for first impressions." Oboro sighed and kept marching forward, naginata swaying slightly on her back as it bumped the odd branch.

Robin was surprised to hear that the girl had bought his gloves from back in that first town was that grateful for his payment. He was worried about underpaying, not trying to give a hefty donation. But that worked too. He wasn't short on money at the moment, and she obviously needed it more than he did. It did bring up the question as to why Oboro was so familiar with so many clothing outfitters. Or makers. Tailors? Fashion wasn't his specialty.

"Well, you did get a first impression back in Izumo. And quick question, how do you know all these people? Or, well, both I suppose. Are you interested in design or something? The pattern on your leggings is really nice, if that means anything. Did you design it?" asked the tactician. He almost walked into a tree in the process, but thankfully managed to dodge in time.

Oboro was looking up to think and didn't notice.

"Mm, well I'll have you know that I come from a family of fashion designers and clothing makers! My family owned a clothing shop. I remember being a little kid tuning around the fabric room as my parents would try to keep me from getting too messy and disturbing the stock they planned to sell that day. But they would always give me the little patches they couldn't sell or make things out of, and I practiced making shirts and kimono from those. They were really, well, patchy, so I wouldn't wear them, but it was good practice.

"Anyway, that's how I know Nari and Kisumi. Our parents were all friends, or really Nari's parents, my parents, and Kisumi were all friends since he's about 15 years older than us, so we spent a lot of time together as kids. Still do, whenever someone else is guarding Lord Takumi. And while it's nice to know you like the diamonds, my leggings are actually just part of the standard uniform. I've been thinking of changing them up a little, though! I just can't decide what shape to make them. I was considering doing a total zigzag with the three equally spaced suns, still in white, but I'm not sure. Actual cut out strips would also look nice, but then I'd have to double layer and I'm worried that might either limit my mobility or make the leggings to bulky and uneven. They might wrinkle more that way, you know?"

Robin did not, in fact, know, but he nodded his head anyway and asked his next question: "Your parents, huh? How are they doing, are they still running your family shop? It's curious you have that up, since your face practically lit up when you spoke of it. You must absolutely love them and the shop, right?"

Oboro froze then, and this time Robin did bump into a tree as he turned to look back at her once he noticed she wasn't at his side.

"Yeah. I loved them." The naginata wielder's face darkened and she practically growled. "But they're not running the shop anymore. Corpses can't run shops anymore."

Robin paused, and cursed to himself. She was using past tense terms, so why did he-

"They were murdered a while back." Oboro spat, turning up her head so Robin could see the burning hate in his eyes. "Murdered by dirty Nohrian scum. Filth. Murdered by killers who didn't care one bit about their livelihood or their families. Their work or their friends."

Oboro's nails were digging into her hands, and Robin worry and guilt multiplied. "I-" he began, but was interrupted by a scream.

"GYAAAH!" someone shouted, high and uneven enough that the tactician couldn't tell who it was.

"It's nice to have fun and I understand you're scared, but keep quiet. If we're too loud we might draw attention and-" Robin's scolding was cut off.

"Lord Takumi, watch out!" Kaze yelled, tackling the prince to the ground.

"...Too late" Robin whispered, looking at the shuriken that had just embedded itself deep into the tree directly behind where Takumi had been standing before he was tackled, perfectly in line with his head.

"Are we under attack!?" Oboro shouted, back to her old self. She ran to place herself in front of Takumi while Hinata helped the prince up and Kaze examined the shuriken that had almost eliminated a member of the Hoshidan royal family.

"No, not yet," he dismissed, twirling the metal object in his hand, "but soon. That was just a scout. The Mokushujin ninja are likely close by. We don't have much time; they'll be upon us any moment."

Small chatter entered the area as various members of the army spoke to one another. Kaze suggested they move to the left and prepare for battle, since they'd have a better angle there. As they did, Robin attempted to lift the mood a little.

"Hey, at least they missed and initiated it."

A few confused looks were shot his way, so Robin continued.

"Well I mean, yes we trespassed into Mokushu's territory. But if they were so upset they could have spoken to use rather than immediately trying to execute the second prince of Hoshido. In terms of politics and legality, this is actually really good for us."

"Is this really the time for that?" Gunter said, annoyance clear in his voice.

"I'm just saying."

No one was amused, sadly. They really needed to get some senses of humor.

* * *

"Can you hear that?" Kotaro chided, looking down at the bound Kagero. "Oh wait, you probably can't. Because unlike a certain tied up someone, we of Mokushu are actually competent ninja who don't make noises akin to a tree being felled when we move around. So since you can't hear, I'll tell you. Right now a squad of my finest men is heading over to defeat some delusional characters who've entered the forest thinking they can save you. My, what an obvious trap! Although, you fell for it too. It's sad I won't be able to see how disappointed Prince Ryoma gets when he heard about your failures. To think the standard for royal retainers was so low. To think that the standards to become a ninja were so low!"

He knelt down to lift up Kagero's chin, but the woman threw her head to the side, dislodging his hand.

"If anyone is showing the low standard for ninja, it's you. Mokushu is allied with Hoshido, have you no honor? Don't you realize the threat kidnapping me places on your continued good relations?" Kagero questioned, glaring at where Kotaro stood, having raised himself after Kagero's refusal.

"Continued good relations? Alliance? Why would I care about those! Mokushu has aligned itself with the cause of Nohr. Hoshido can burn. King Garon will send his troops into the country soon enough, and soon enough Hoshido will fall. Once that happens, Mokushu will expand and take control of the ruins, finally making me a true king! Who would pass that chance up?" Kotaro laughed.

Kagero wasn't amused, yelling out at the insane man: "You're delusional! Hoshido will not fall to Nohr, and it certainly won't fall to a band of traitors led by yourself. Lord Ryoma will not allow it."

Her snapping remarks annoyed Kotaro, so the older ninja called for one of his men.

"There's no need for you to be so mean, you know. It wounds me. Ah, but it's too bad I have to keep you alive. It would have been terribly fun to deliver your body to the palace when I made me move to claim it." Motioning for the subordinate he had standing by, Kotaro looked directly down at Kagero while he spoke. "But, if you're uncooperative, I may change my mind. You! Take her away!"

The ninja gripped Kagero by her scarf, and yanked her to her feet to make her wall away. As she walked away, Kotaro took a few steps forward, lacing his fingers in her hair. He whispered a few words into Kagero's ear, causing her to jerk forward to get away. A few black strands were caught in Kotaro's fingers, drawing blood as the thin hairs sliced across skin.

Kotaro stood and chuckled as Kagero was led away, cursing under her breath. He could hear the shame in her voice, the way she berated herself for not delivering the crown prince's message. It was wonderful. She was such an amusing character, and it was sad he couldn't keep her longer. Her body would send a good message though, especially if he managed to kill her when the ones in the forest were watching. He would deliver that to the capital. It would work out greatly. For him, at least. She wouldn't enjoy it, dying in shame, but she had thrown her life and all her rights away the second she crossed into his territory.

* * *

Saizo stepped over a fallen, moss covered tree, looking across to one still standing. There were signs of shuriken all around them; in the dented trees, the ground with chunks of moss and grass pushed out, and scratched rocks covered in white marks left by flying pieces of metal.

Behind him were Reina and Orochi, both glancing around. Orochi had a look of deep concentration on her face as she examined different spots, while Reina was off in her own world, a wide smile clear on her face. The front of her uniform was clean though. No blood had stained it just yet.

"Is this the area our scout described to you, Orochi?" Saizo asked, walking around the tree felled before him. He had originally gone after Kagero alone, but Reina, with Orochi rising on her Kinshi had followed after him once he passed the Mokushu border. Apparently they had sent a scout ahead after hearing of Kagero's capture, somehow receiving notice before even he. It hurt his pride to have been beaten by a mere scout, so he did not ask how they knew or how close the do It had been when they sent out orders.

"Mhm, I think so. I can still feel her aura, too. She was here recently. But we're so deep into the woods that I'm not completely sure. And while I can tell she was here at some point, she must have crossed a great part of the forest before arriving wherever she is kept. This may not have been the spot she was captured, but simply one where she momentarily crossed." Orochi turned over to Reina, who was brushing her mount delicately. For someone who so brutally hurt others without a care, she was very gentle to her Kinshi, which she had elegantly named Redrum. Otherwise known as backward murder.

Saizo sighed at the woman's lack of concern for their current time-dependant goal. "We only have so much time before something happens to Kagero. We need to get going, Reina."

Reina stopped brushing and mounted Redrum, flying over the felled tree to take the lead.

"This is such a wonderful forest. The hopelessness here will certainly make our enemies' deaths all the more glorious, as they struggle in despair. Looking at the black sky coming down to get them will make them suffer all the more. And just listen to our voices echo as we speak… the acoustics here are marvelous. I can't wait to hear the lovely chorus of their screams… it'll be beautiful."

Knocking a few leaves to the ground with her hand, Reina hummed to herself, grinning. She was apparently having a great time, which didn't sit well with Saizo. Her fellow Hoshidan - her fellow royal retainer - had been captured, and could be murdered at any moment. They may not have served the same exact person, but had made acquaintance often, but were allies in the same company.

Orochi called for them to be quiet a few seconds after, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning to one direction. Saizo silently moved to stand next to each other, focusing on the sounds coming from the direction she was listening.

There were footsteps approaching, both heavy and light. Probably a pegasus from the sound of it. The group was large and had people both male and female, young and old, and from different regions based on two exclamations Saizo noticed which had different lilts. They didn't sound serious. He could hear laughing from them, as well as scolding. Not Mokushujin ninja, then. He also doubted any of them lived in Mokushu either. He had already crossed that area and knew it was even more difficult to pass through than the path he found himself on, and no person who lived in the region would be so unfamiliar with the terrain to choose the way the voices were going. Even if where Saizo stood was off limits to regular people for whatever reason, there must have been other easier paths to cross. And if the area truly was off limits, the one that held the approaching group would likely have been off limits too.

Hovering where she had stalled her Kinshi, Reina waited for Saizo and Orochi to catch up, upset at the delay. Her mind was always in bloodshed, and every moment spent putting the battle off was likely one wasted in her mind. Seeing queen Mikoto alongside such a bloodthirsty woman had often out other members of the higher class on edge. Luckily Orochi dismissed most worry others had about the relationship, but some remained. Reasonable worry, as Reina hardly tried to rein in her lust for battle and brutality even when in the Hoshidan court.

The flap of Redrum's wings, even if far away, were distracting Saizo though. With the constant beating just behind him, singling out voiced and words far in front of him was made overly difficult.

"Reina. Stay your mount. I need to listen," Saizo ordered, closing his good eye as he leaned in. Sometimes it was easier to listen if he closed his eyes. That way he didn't have to process any of the sights around him, and could devote all his concentration to the sounds he was trying to comprehend.

"Mph. If I have to stop her, then I'll brush Redrum while I wait. There's no point in standing still, and the blood is a pain to get out of knotted, clogged feathers," answered the scarred lady. She dismounted and pulled the brush back out resuming her care of the Kinshi before her.

"They're not our enemies, at least," Oboro mentioned, putting her hands on her hip. "But we told the rest of the troops to stay at the capitol, so I don't have the slightest idea as to who they are. Unless you sent for someone, Saizo? I thought you said that was a signal to warn other away."

Saizo shook his head, answering her question. "No and yes, in that order. The only troops I sent for were you two, and the signal was one of warning. Maybe it was misread. Remind me to instruct the main guard on the intricacies of smoke signalling once we get back."

"Of course," Oboro responded, smiling.

The group had a loud outburst a moment later, making Orochi raise an eyebrow and Saizo frown. He recognized at least one of those voices.

"-een but that doesn't mean you can be as loud as you want. It's only a matter of time before we meet up with their full forces. So stay quiet!" one said, voice worried and full of warning.

"...Kaze…?" Saizo whispered, drawing Orochi's attention.

"Did you just say Kaze? Don't tell me you actually _heard_ whatever it is they said! Oh, and I thought Kaze had run off or something? Why would he come to save you if he abandoned Hoshido? And shouldn't be of all people know how your smoke signals work? Something seems fishy, if you ask me." The diviner stepped in front of Saizo, standing between his position and the location of Kaze and his companions.

"That's…!" Kaze exclaimed, leaving his sentence unfinished. The loud noise of cracking twigs and hastily thrown leaves sounded as someone rushed over, revealing himself to be Kaze once he poked his head around the last tree blocking him. "It is you… Saizo, thank the gods… I was worried you had already engaged the Mokushujin alone. Although, I guess it wouldn't be alone based on your companions. But why would you swim through the river if you had Reina and her Kinshi with her?"

Saizo paused, looking at his younger twin brother. Kaze had a few leaves in his shirt and a small length of raised skin along the visible portion of his chest, likely the leftovers of a partially rod-healed wound that had been left to finish the process naturally. His face was right and filled with both worry and relief, melting from a half-half split to a complete show of the last one as Kaze straightened himself and dislodged the pieces of nature that had stuck themselves upon him. Kaze always looked good in the forest, blending in unlike Saizo. Red hair worked in certain situations, especially during sunset operations, but green probably would have been more useful.

Voices got louder as one by one Kaze's companions entered the clearing. Most Saizo new by name, and the ones he didn't he recognized. He had heard of more people defecting to Corrin's side, but Saizo hadn't expected the number of people he saw before him. Given how distrusting Takumi was of Corrin and people in general, seeing the young prince by his long-haired sister's side was surprising.

Saizo had heard of the attack on Izumo, and of the mysterious force that ended it, supposedly made up of both Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers. Takumi and his retainers had been in Izumo at the time, so they were likely captured and restrained along with the rest of the residents of the main palace of Izumo. Why Takumi would join just because he was rescued, Saizo couldn't comprehend. Especially given that he considered his retainers' opinions, even if he didn't always (or usually) bend completely to their will. The Nohrian presence in Corrin's group would normally have put her so on edge she'd straight out refuse to travel with them. Hinata was Hinata, optimistic and friendly as one ever was. Most of the others that had joined between Jinya and Mokushu were curious.

While Subaki and Hana hadn't mentioned where they would be going or even that they would be leaving the palace in the first place, their place with Corrin was something Saizo had already anticipated. The two were Sakura's retainers, and would follow her wherever she went. Saizo was much more surprised back at Fort Jinya, when it had been Kaze by Sakura's side, not either of her retainers. It was unbecoming of the two of them to leave Sakura at the same time, even if they had left Kaze to act as her guard in their stead. Each member of the royal family had two personal retainers for a reason. And if they _had_ to both leave at the same moment, they could have at least left someone else with Sakura, even if it was some random guard wandering about the castle after a shift change.

Kaze himself was no longer standing alone, Corrin at his side with the gray haired butler, Jakob, on her other. The mounted Nohrian, Gunter if what Saizo had heard at Fort Ninja was correct, stood silently and far away. Though he was apparently Corrin's servant, he didn't act so. If anything, Kaze for his place better. If when the war ended, Corrin was still accepted into the Hoshidan family, Kaze would likely serve as her retainer. And judging based off what he could see, Jakob would constitute the other half of her personal guard. It might cause the members of the upper class to go into an uproar, but if Corrin was anything like her mother, her stubbornness would keep Jakob from leaving. The butler's own stubbornness likely would, too, if Saizo's impression of him was correct.

The boy standing by Rinkah's side Saizo recognized as the adoptive son of the head of the wind tribe. He'd heard of battle there as well. Was the boy a prize for victory? A trophy? A surrender condition? No, Corrin and Kaze wouldn't allow it. The tactician, maybe. But not the other two. Why the boy would join a war effort of his own volition was a concern for another day. Rinkah herself had been spared by Corrin in Nohr, though her switch of allegiance was odd. She had been the one to kidnap Corrin, and was still cursing the girl's name a week after the tribalism had been released from the Nohrian prison she had spent a week in.

The fact that Kaze was captured too was disappointing. Shameful, almost. But he certainly had a reason. The two brothers hadn't had a chance to speak between then and the current time, given Saizo's busy schedule, so they still had to talk. Maybe Kaze could explain what he saw in Corrin as well; why he joined the side of someone who threw away a family that loved and accepted her even though she could not remember them and struggled to bring herself to care. At first, at least. Her transformation in the town square meant she felt a great deal of distress over Mikoto's death, so care must have emerged at one point. Although it might have just been shock, simple surprise that triggered whatever it was that happened on that day. She… couldn't have been all that bad, though. The Yato did choose her. But Saizo had yet to see her true character, so his judgement would come later. He had more pressing matters at the moment.

"Kaze. What are you doing here? You should have recognized that my signal was-"

"A warning to get away, not a call for help," Kaze interrupted, looking away uneasily. "We learned how to make it together, after all. And I know that you're probably upset with me, but please listen. You're my one and only brother. The heir to the Saizo line. If you died here, then the Saizo family skill set and name would die with you. End after an entire five generations. I couldn't let that happen, so I came here as soon as I could. The rest of my companions… I couldn't go alone. They wouldn't let me, regardless."

Crossing his arms, Kaze moved his gaze, still avoiding looking directly at his older brother. He seemed uncomfortable. And as though he wanted to say more, but couldn't bring himself too. Though Saizo wanted to berate Kaze for giving off such an uncharacteristic, pathetic look, he couldn't bring himself too. He knew that he was the cause of Kaze's state, and that pointing it out would only worsen things. Kaze wasn't entirely right in his words though.

"You contradicted yourself amidst false statements, Kaze. You began by mentioning how we learned smoke signals together, which is true. Then you went on to say that the Saizo line would die with me as I'm the only one who knows the skills, which isn't. It we learned together, how could I be the only one?"

"Smoke signals are basic. Every ninja worth his position knows how to make and read them. I'm talking about the specific set of skills our family passed from one generation to the next. The skills you learned as I spent hours repeating the same drills over and over again until my fingers bled. Drills that didn't help me at all, as I could never come close to you even when you had less practice time from devoting your hours to learning the family techniques. As you spent time with father, preparing to become Prince Ryoma's retainer one day, I was stuck learning about the history of the katana or daikon with whatever villager mother could shove me with for the moment. In all my time at home, I learned the very basics, some history, and how to garden. You learned so much more, though. I'm pathetic in comparison. I could never carry on the Saizo line. It's a good thing you're the older one. I'd have only brought the family more shame than I already have."

"Kaze-"

"Saizo, you and I both know it's true. Mother and Father never wanted a second child. It's against family tradition. The Saizo line is upheld by one heir and one heir only. The firstborn and the firstborn only. There was never a second born, because there was no need. They didn't want to divulge the secrets. Women ninja are common in the village, but their positions are typically not high. Yet because grandmother was the firstborn, she was the third Saizo. The family did not want to have another child, so they let her take on the Saizo name. She's probably the most well-known and greatest Saizo in the line, for everything she did for Hoshido. Someone even father could never beat. All because the family thought two children was one too many. I am, always have been, and always will be a burden on the family. I'm sorry that I limited your education when we were children Saizo. But… it doesn't matter. What matters is that I know you sent out a warning signal, but I came anyway. I disobeyed your orders. So berate me all you want later, but for now please excuse me and accept our help. I don't want to lose you. The Saizo family has no one else."

Kaze finally looked Saizo in the eyes, clearly hurt, and Saizo couldn't help but feel guilty. Kaze thought so poorly of himself, denying praise and taking in every insult or offense.

"Suzukaze." Saizo reached out to his brother's shoulder, making Kaze's eyes widen. It may have been at the use of his full name, but that wasn't important. "I need you to understand something. You are not worthless. You are an extremely competent ninja, one that I'm glad to have by my side. You always pushed me to my limits as a child. If you hadn't been there, then I would never have gotten as far as I have. So don't hate yourself. Accept your contributions and move on. I'm not the best everywhere, anyway. Even if you aren't all the way to my level, that doesn't mean you're not good at all. If we're hit by magic, you're always slightly better off than I am, and your speed means you're just as good at reconnaissance and time based missions. Don't sell yourself short."

Kaze moved to thank him, but Reina took the opportunity to speak up.

"Brotherly bonding is great and all, but don't you think we should be getting a move on? I'm starting to fall asleep from just sitting here, and the darkness is making me cold. I need some screams and blood to wake and warm me up…"

The various members of Corrin's group made different noises of reaction at her words, those familiar with Reina sighing, those not making exclamations of surprise, and some trailing off as they backed up. Reina was right, though. Time was of the essence when saving Kagero. They were about to battle, and no reasonable person would start chatting away right before a fight. He berated himself for it, and then berated himself more when he saw Kaze's eyes drop, likely from guilt. They would have to finish their conversation later.

"I don't think moving is an option anymore," Robin said, drawing everyone's attention.

The glinting of light off many shuriken flashed across the area, ninja visible across the area. A few spear fighters, oni savage, samurai, and shrine maidens had joined them, especially heavy on the left. They must have been trying to drive the group away from where they had both come, so Corrin's army wouldn't be able to fight in a familiar area. That or because there appeared to be a clearing in the open direction, which would have less cover for the group to hide in. It would be a public execution, in a way, if Saizo was reading their actions correctly.

"Should we play into where they're trying to guide us?" Robin asked to no one in particular, surveying the area and troops around them.

"Well, since we can win no matter what they throw at us, I don't see why not!" Corrin cheered, drawing her blade.

The battle to rescue Kagero was about to begin.

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 **Authors note:** **Okay, let me say I almost started laughing so many times in public because of this chapter. Do you know why? I wrote almost exclusively on my phone, and my good ol' LG G4 autocorrects Kagero to Later I, which is meh, and Kotaro to Potato. Potato. Potato the big bad murderer. Even writing this I'm smiling. As for Kaze and Saizo at the end, I originally had Saizo being a little nicer, but then I reread their supports in which Kaze tries to challenge Saizo and Saizo straight up tells Kaze he'll lose. Kaze also stutters a bit, and since this is my interpretation, I went for a little bit of an inferiority complex. Saizo does try to comfort Kaze at least a little, so there's that. Also I know I deviated quite a bit from what actually happens in terms of who talks and how they meet up, but I liked this way better. I also forgot that in-game Saizo and crew show up as green units away from where your units are. Oh well. And this is pretty long now, so I'll be cutting it off here. I think I forgot to mention something, but I don't want to delay this any longer. Please review if you have the time, and I hope to continue to please!**

 **EDIT: I just remembered what it was. I've decided on the first pairing of the fic! You'll see first evidence of it two chapters from now. I might actually admit it in chapter 12, but it may get bumped to chapter 13 depending on how things work out. Oh, and one reviewer happened to mention it so have fun figuring it out... I was considering putting it in anyway, because I love the pairing, but that review was what solidified my choice. Thank you for leaving that review, and that's all!**

 **Originally published November 25, 2016. 11,640 words.**

 **Eruran out.**


	11. A Rocky Forest

**Author's Note: Well well, here we are again. I tried to make the battle interesting here, which I have some trouble with, so I hope it's okay. As for Azura/Robin requests (since I've gotten a ton), I'm thinking about it. I don't know though, as I've still not decided if I want Robin to have married in Awakening and I don't want him to be a two-timer. I think I had something else to say but I don't remember, so that's- Actually, this may or may not be it, but... I forgot again. Remembered! I tried to vary paragraph length a little this time by making some short ones. It's kind of awkward so I may switch it back later (all I did was take existing paragraphs and split them up). Uh, anyway, thank you for 90 reviews and 250 follows! Let's try to get to 100 and 260 by next chapter! Also, remember when I first published this and thought it would end at 100,000 words? Ha. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

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Quickly assessing the situation, Robin took in how greatly outnumbered he and his companions were. Not that that was anything new, but it was off-putting. The large number of ninja around meant that ranged weapons would be key to the battle, so Robin would have to figure out some way to deal with that. They had paused for a short moment after crossing the river but before meeting up with Saizo to visit the astral plane and get a few long distance weapons, but problems still existed. First of all, they only had one javelin and a single spear, but three spear users. And since the spear didn't work for close combat, that would put anyone using it at risk of taking a direct attack.

He also had a kodachi and an iron katti he'd taken off a samurai that had attacked Corrin's army as they walked from Izumo to their current location. The man was a resident of some small town nearby that was convinced Corrin and Co. were passing through to find and attack his town, so tried to get in the first strike. Of course, one man against an entire troop was a dumb move, and he was quickly beaten.

The man hadn't really understood though and kept coming back even after Robin had released him, so after the third time Robin simply knocked him out and stole his sword. He also left a note saying they weren't out to hurt anyone as long as they were left alone, and that he and his friends would keep clear of the man's village if he stopped bothering them.

There were four people in need of ranged swords, however: Corrin, Hana, Hinata, and Robin. Robin could manage fine with his tome, he supposed. One of the others would just have to go without a ranged weapon. Who that would be was complicated though. Corrin was the strongest, so if she got a ranged weapon, then she'd do the most damage and help others out. But Hana was the most fragile, and could be defeated in fewer hits. If she couldn't defend herself from ranged attacks, she'd be an easy target for any ninja looking to finish someone off before they were defeated or killed themselves. But Corrin also needed to have a defense mechanism, since she was the head of the army and needed more than anyone to be at full health. Hinata was even enough that he had the defense to survive a few hits, and had enough strength that he could do some real damage too. He'd be the most effective with one, then.

Considering that… Hinata could get the katti, and Corrin the Kodachi. Hana could keep her regular iron katana. Robin would pair her up with Subaki, having her ride on the Sky Knight's pegasus with him. It was hard to aim on top of a moving object if you weren't used to it, and Robin didn't want to test Hana in the middle of a battle. They could do that one back at Fort Corrin.

With the sword situation taken care of, he went back to the lance one.

Azura had such shoddy defense that it was suicide to send her without a defense mechanism past the poor natural defense she already had. If she had a javelin, not only could she retaliate to any attacks, but it would conceivably discourage some ranged attackers from attacking her. A spear would open her to melee attacks, which was worse if anything.

That left Subaki and Oboro for the spear. On one hand, if he gave Subaki the spear he could place the sky knight up above trees when he threw it, having the advantage of height that would likely either prevent shuriken from reaching him at all, or at least give him extra time to dodge as the weapons were slowed upon their ascents. On the other hand, if Hana was riding with him and he stayed flying high above the others, Hana wouldn't be able to do anything useful past act as a meat shield in case someone tried to attack Subaki from behind while he was distracted.

Hana was a terrible excuse for a meat shield though. So that wouldn't work. And since that was an automatic failure, Oboro got the spear. Robin would just have to be careful with making sure there was someone between her and the next enemy, if possible.

By that strategy, he would send her to fight with someone lacking a ranged weapon. To the areas with shuriken and other ranged weapon wielders, Robin would send in Corrin or someone else with a weapon that could attack both at close range and a distance. To areas without ranged fighters, Robin could send in Oboro and her partner, Hayato. The magic-physical combination would work well together first of all. But secondly, if Hayato kept in front of her, then she could only be hit with ranged attacks while wielding the spear. And if anyone tried a range attack on Hayato, he'd be able to counter.

Takumi was in the same boat, being a bow (or rather yumi) user. He could follow Jakob. Two silver/gray haired irritable men with extreme passion directed toward Corrin made a good pairing. Even if Jakob's passion was adoration and devotion, and Takumi's passion was hatred and distrust. They both held intense feelings.

That would also help bridge the gap between the Hoshidan and Nohrian members of Corrin's army, provided they got along. For the moment pairing Oboro with a Nohrian was too risky, because she absolutely abhorred them and anything to do with the land to the west of the Bottomless Canyon. Robin couldn't count on her listening to what a Nohrian suggested on their attack plans, and he wasn't going to test whether or not he was right. But if her liege, Takumi, were to be on good terms with a Nohrian, especially one that was extremely hard to get along with regardless of your place of origin, that would help convince her at least a little. Hinata was nice, so he'd be fine either way. Corrin Robin was unsure about, so he'd leave her alone.

There was a good choke point to the left, so Hinata could take that on with Rinkah. They wouldn't be able to best swords, but with their combined weapons they at least wouldn't be weak to anything. Kaze could follow Corrin, with Sakura trailing. The Kaze-Corrin pair would be headed in the same general direction as the Oboro-Hayato one, and for a time would be close enough to Subaki and Hana, so Sakura would be on duty to take care of them all. Provided they listened, Saizo could pair with Reina, and Orochi with Azura. Gunter would be alone. The old knight had enough defense to be fine though, and Robin was still trying to keep him from fighting whenever possible. Or maybe he'd pair himself with Gunter, and just creatively and conveniently always place himself in the line of fire, preventing Gunter from ever getting the chance to get an attack in. That sounded good. Plus, then he'd only have to worry about giving Gunter a single weapon, which meant the knight could stock up on vulneraries and concoctions to distribute for his side of the attack. Jakob was in position to heal those Sakura couldn't, but Robin would rather he focus on attacking instead. As long as they could rely on potions, they would.

Which reminded Robin that he hadn't included Gunter in his weapon distribution counts, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The man wouldn't be attacking anyway if all went according to Robin's plans, so what he had to attack with was of no importance.

That was too much to ask for though, as after giving out his orders, the world remembered that it hated him and ruined them.

"What the!?" Oboro said, after she ran to attack the first enemy before her.

A few steps in, the area she was nearing to cross was swept away and replaced with a sea of spikes, too close together to avoid, and of a medium size that meant they'd slice through one's foot as soon as they attempted to cross. For everyone with thick boots it would be a detriment but not impassable, but for Corrin and Azura…

"G-ghaah!" Corrin cried out in pain, trying to hop back. She has been standing in an area that appeared to be grass when she has stood there, but revealed itself to be part of the same curtain of spikes Oboro had revealed.

The pressure Corrin put on the ground in order to propel herself only further embedded her feet into the spikes, so she got caught as she jumped away, making the skin on the bottoms of her feet tear away. She stood unsteadily after getting back, and tried to take a few steps further to retake her place, but it didn't work out. She grunted in pain and stumbled, Jakob and Gunter moving to catch her. Jakob immediately pulled out his staff as some of the enemies nearby began to giggle. It wasn't funny in Robin's mind though. As such, he ordered Oboro and Hayato to continue their charge, despite the spikes. They were healthy enough they'd survive, and were equipped with vulneraries just in case.

He still had the problem of Corrin though, and since she and Azura were in the same shoeless boat, he had to figure out what to do with The blue haired princess as well.

"Gunter," Robin commanded, voice even, "pick up Corrin and put her on your horse. I know it may not be super happy about riding over spikes, but we need Corrin's strength and my guess is that that area isn't the only one with spikes around. Try to ride over areas without any visible, but remember they may just be well hidden traps.

"Reina, same to you. You have a flying mount, so you should be fine as long as you remember to hover, but I'm going to need you to take Azura with you so she doesn't suffer the same fate as Corrin just did. Saizo, that means you can go with- actually, you go with Kaze. I'll follow Orochi. Now hurry, before the Mokushujin decided they're done with waiting around for us to walk to our own demises and initiate an attack. Not that we'll fall to them, but they don't know that yet so time is of the essence. Take your positions everyone, and move out!"

Robin got a few boss in return for his orders, and joined Oboro where she stood ready to take on a samurai.

"You seem like an interesting man, you know," she said with a smile, rather cheerful for their predicament. "I would love to take your fortune once we get back. Well, that is if we do go back together. Probably not since we're technically part of opposing armies, but I can see it. I'm meant to fight by your side another day. I'm only hoping that I am at your side to assist you, not attack you. Now let's get on with this!" Orochi took on the samurai, conjuring up a tiger spirit to send his way. Her spacing meant she was too far for the samurai to immediately counterattack, so the diviner stepped to the side to allow Robin to run in and deal the knockout blow.

A ninja moved to injure Robin, who wasn't equipped with a range weapon at the moment as his tome was by his side, but Reina flew past close enough that Azura was able to cut the man across the chest with her naginata, knocking the man into a tree and dazing him. Orochi ran from behind to finish the man off while he was down, but Robin grabbed her arm, kicking the man in the head himself and relieving him of his weapons.

"Oh sorry, I forgot to mention this, but Corrin really wants to get through this war with the least amount of deaths possible, so we go for knockouts rather than kills whenever we can do so without risk of significantly harming our person or allies. Make sure you take their weapons when you're done. Shuriken are easy to steal as long as you've got a bag to store them in, but you don't so hand them to me. That or throw them really hard into the deep woods. That'll at least delay any attack the original wielded tries to make while he looks for them. Because while we hope they won't wake up for a while after we knock them out, sometimes that doesn't work out." Robin's warning was firm and Orochi took it into consideration, nodding.

Another enemy, this time an oni savage, ran up to Robin in hopes of attacking him. The tactician slipped past though, dodging and delivering a long cut to the man's back. Orochi followed up with another tiger summoning, sending the beast toward the man's head. The blow succeeded in rendering him unconscious, and Orochi laughed in triumph.

"Just a warning, though," she started, responding to what Robin had told her, "Reina won't be too happy about that, and I don't think she'll try too hard to abide by the no-kill rule. You hear what she was saying earlier, didn't you? About the screams and blood? If I've ever met a sadistic person it's her, so I don't know how big of a chance we have of getting her to stop."

Robin frowned, about to voice his disappointment, before Orochi continued, sending a different spirit, this time a monkey, toward a nearby enemy that Robin finished off for her.

"But, since she's paired with Azura right now, it's not entirely impossible to convince her to slow down her journey to most kills in the Hoshidan army of all time. Azura doesn't like fighting all that much, and had this calming air to her. That alone would help convince Reina, but Azura also has the advantage of being familiar with her."

Robin sent a bolt of lightning at a shrine maiden healing a samurai nearby, the jolt shocking her and leaving an opportunity for Orochi to deliver a quick blow to her neck. The maiden crumbled, drawing the samurai's attention. He went for Orochi, but Robin got in the way and took the blow instead. Orochi fired her scroll up once more, but the man dodged. In his dodging he jumped back to where Robin was standing though and Robin wound up to kick the man in the back. He fell flat to the ground, but not before lobbing his katana at Orochi, the blade managing to nick her unprotected side.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, putting a hand to the wound which was bleeding freely.

Gunter passed by then, Corrin taking an enemy out on his other side as he tossed Orochi a vulnerary. She thanked him and downed it, keeping pressure at the wound marring her pale waist. She was wearing white, so the blood that dropped from it stained the cloth and she pouted, cursing the man that injured her. Robin gave her some advice, knowing that as good as vulneraries were, the cut was better healed by a staff or rod.

"I'll take the point. Don't run more than you have to and risk reopening your wound," he said, before switching topics. "And what do you mean Azura's familiar with Reina? Is Reina a castle guard? Or did Azura try to run away or something and was caught by Reina?"

Orochi laughed, cringing and putting a hand to her side as she and Robin moved forward once again, stopping at a point just wide enough for the two of them to stand in, but not enough for others to pass. With how much damage they'd done, the Mokushujin would start initiating the attacks rather than just standing in wait, and their current position was a perfect place to receive the attacks. They had already cleared out the area behind them, so they wouldn't have to worry about any attacks from that direction. And even if they had missed someone, Gunter and Corrin were still running (or rather riding) around, so they could deal with any possible trouble. From the front, only one to two people could attack at a time, so that worked out well enough. Plus no one could get past them that way, so the others wouldn't have to worry about surprise attackers coming from Robin and Orochi's direction.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. Azura was a most pleasant girl. Much too calm and pleasant for a hostage, if you don't mind me. Her life in Nohr must have been terrible for her to have been so unbothered by her situation… Ah but anyway, on to the relationship between she and Reina.

"Ever since Mikoto became a member of the court, I've been serving as her retainer, as did a samurai named Haitaka. He was dismissed a while back for insubordination, and Reina took his place. Mikoto often insisted the two of us, Reina and I, follow her around in her duties around the castle, including playing with her children on occasion. Typical Hoshidan tradition had the ruler and their spouse with a set of guards that accompanied them whenever they left the castle grounds, and another made up of ninja and other figures that could protect them inside Castle Shirasagi, with a different personal guard to remain at their side and dissuade any attackers from acting. They would also typically stay away from their charge's personal life, but Mikoto was truly a revolutionary queen. Reina and I spent many a day inside the castle, sometimes just sitting with Mikoto as she painted or meditated, and other times entertaining Azura or Takumi or whoever else while she concentrated on either another child or her duties. Mikoto was very worried about Azura feeling at home, so she got a lot of Reina's attention, Sakura was in the hands of others for a long while given she was so young and Reina… well, she can be okay around children who've already developed to a point, but I don't think even Mikoto wanted to risk having her as the example Sakura grew up to model herself after. Ryoma was the oldest and very nature from even a young age, and Hinoka had a long period where she was too good for us, and more concerned with training to save Corrin. Takumi was a very… fragile child, so I spent a lot of time with him. I still remember when he-"

"Duck!" Robin shouted, pushing Orochi back with one hand and casting a lightning spell with the other. The man he hit twitched on the ground from the force, and Robin kicked him in the head, leaning down to remove his katana and a vulnerary. "We're doing pretty well right now, so you can chat a bit, but make sure to remember we're still on a battlefield. The others look like they're doing a fine job keeping people from,coming over here, but we can't be too careful."

Orochi nodded and apologized for her mistake, mentioning she had finished up anyway and was done speaking. Robin gave her a thumbs up in response and set his gaze ahead, waiting for whoever else came their way.

* * *

"Reina, same to you. You have a flying mount, so you should be fine as long as you remember to hover, but I'm going to need you to take Azura with you so she doesn't suffer the same fate as Corrin just did. Saizo, that means you can go with- actually, you go with Kaze. I'll follow Orochi. Now hurry, before the Mokushujin decided they're done with waiting around for us to walk to our own demises and initiate an attack. Not that we'll fall to them but they don't know that yet so time is of the essence. Take your positions everyone, and move out!"

Saizo looked over to his brother once Robin finished speaking, moving to join him. Why Robin would pair two ninja and two magic users together, rather than mixing them up, he didn't understand. They needed versatility at the moment. And though the tactician could use a sword, thus giving his pair with Orochi some more variety, Kaze and Saizo were both equipped with shuriken, not katana or other weapons. He wasn't one to disobey orders though, and headed out.

As he headed left, Kaze grabbed Saizo's arm and turned him around. "Saizo, there are already three groups going in that direction. We need to follow Robin to even out the field."

Saizo shook off his brother's hand, and Kaze's forehead tightened.

"There are seventeen of us, all but one in pairs of two. One direction will have three and the extra person, one will have five and thus three more. I say the left, where Robin is headed, should have the three. Jakob is headed right, and they need a healer. Sakura can follow along, and as long as she's careful can stay out of the line of fire. There are a few choke points she can hide behind, since she should have a few long ranged rods."

"You say it _should_ have three, or that you _want_ it to have three?"

"If you're implying that I want Robin or his companions to be h-"

"Not at all. But Robin's direction, in addition to having one less person, includes two injured people forced to rest on the mounts of others. Are you sure they can handle that side without our aid?"

Saizo paused. Reina and Orochi were the Queen's personal retainers. They were skilled. But they weren't used to facing this level of ambush. At least, Orochi wasn't. Reina would likely be having the time of her life, being back in her own element. But she also had to ferry around Azura, which would slow her and could lead to injury. Robin was competent, that much Saizo had seen. So he'd be able to guide Orochi well enough to keep the two of them alive. And Corrin had been a force to deal with back at Fort Jinya, as had her old knight servant. Saizo hadn't looked long in their direction, but he hadn't noticed a particularly large amount of troops their way. There wasn't much reason for there to be. Kotaro was in the other direction, so the majority of his troops would be between he and his prey: Corrin and her 14 person army. 17, if you included Reina, Orochi, and Saizo. But it was still small.

"...Yes. They'll survive. We on the right also have a pair up in Hana and Subaki, plus two people often limited to ranged attacks, one entirely and the other for most of the time. This way also has more enemy troops. We are needed more away from Robin."

Kaze's face softened. "We'll go right then. Thank you for your honesty."

"No problem. Now let's go." Saizo wondered what it was that made Kaze feel the need to test him. Everything surrounding Corrin and her group was a mystery. She herself was an oddity, but she also seemed to change everyone that was around her. Saizo was unfamiliar with it all, and more and more he found himself with questions he wasn't sure the answer to. It wasn't good for his name and position, to be so uninformed. Even Kaze had changed slightly. Maybe this time fighting alongside her would help Saizo figure out just what she was doing, and how she did it all. Or at least what was up with her sidekick, the even more curious Robin. He had come from nowhere, joined for no reason, and ordered everyone around without receiving any backtalk or opposition. Something was strange there.

After he and Kaze had taken on a few of her ninja, demonstrating the superiority of those from Igasato over those from Mokushu, Kaze asked his brother a question.

"Saizo, why are your attacks filled with so much hatred? Even when fighting Nohrian troops your blows were never filled with so much anger and spite." Kaze's voice was laced with concern, and Saizo raised an eyebrow, picking up the shuriken of the man he had last defeated to put thin in the pouch at his side. Mokushujin craft or not, he couldn't deny they were good weapons. "I'm not saying that you should stop fighting but… do try to lessen your hatred before you are consumed by it. Before it becomes something more."

Another enemy came and was defeated, the brothers pushing past where Oboro and Hayato were blocking off a small path.

"They are filled with hatred because these people have committed a great crime. They have kidnapped a woman simply passing through their territory, and a Hoshidan retainer no less. She had permission to pass through by the terms of the agreement Mokushu and Hoshido have. They have broken this treaty, and must be reprimanded," the older of the brothers quipped. It was true enough.

But Kaze was no fool, and continued his question as they simultaneously raised and threw their shuriken at an oni savage just ahead. "I know you're hiding something, brother. That's not all. You have something against Mokushu, don't you?" His question then was not merely a question, but more a statement. "Some deep hatred that trails back. But when did you-"

Kaze dropped to the ground, a samurai's katana swiping the air an inch above his head. The samurai adjusted his grip to hit down, but Saizo caught the sword with the blade on his wrist and jerked back, disarming the man. Kaze leapt to his feet with a spin, kicking the man's feet out from under him. Saizo knocked the samurai out.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, addressing his brother. "Be careful."

Kaze looked down for his reply.

"Of course. I'll pay more attention next time, sorry."

Having been interrupted in the middle of his question, Kaze's thought was not finished. And either he had forgotten about it entirely, or was too ashamed after what had just occurred to continue speaking, because it was never restated. Kaze went completely silent after the particular incident, only speaking to tell Saizo to dodge or do something else combat related.

Takumi and Jakob were working astonishingly well together, the archer sniping anyone nearby and either finishing them off with a single blow, or leaving them weak enough for his partner to jump in and defeat whoever it came to be. The prince was mainly aiming for legs and arms, always piercing either the thigh or the video of his victim. When they faltered, Jakob took the opportunity to come up and hit them over the head. On occasion the shock or flinch would leave the two members of Corrin's Army enough time to remove their opponents' weapons without knocking the defenseless enemy out. A few had passed out from blood loss it seemed.

Many of those Takumi struck would likely never be able to enter combat again. Divine weapons such as the Fujin Yumi were special in that the wounds they dealt took longer to heal, and often left thicker than normal scars. Even if the muscle did heal itself back almost to its original state, the repairs would be thickened and more likely to snap again.

It was something enemies of Sumeragi had mentioned after he spared them. Saizo the Fourth had told his son of a few men who had committed suicide after fighting Sumeragi, unable to fight from wounds dealt by the Raijinto that never managed to fully heal, and full of shame. It wasn't a widespread occurrence by the slightest, but as Saizo the Fifth would be serving as the personal retainer of Sumeragi's son, it was best to know any enemies he might have as a result of the actions of the father.

Sumeragi was beloved throughout the East side of the continent regardless, so social pressures alone discouraged any attacks on him or his family. Many funerals were held after his death at King Garon's hands.

The injuries dealt by Takumi were thus harsh, but despite the apparent brutality of the light haired duo, they left the nearby shrine maiden alone, allowing her to heal her companions. A dagger or arrow would be aimed at her if she healed too long however, as the two didn't particularly want their enemies to wake up, so the maiden healed her companions only to prevent their deaths and most of the permanent injuries she was able to.

Hana and Subaki were triumphing from their place in the air, the sky knight frequently swooping down long enough for Hana to get in a hit without making himself too easy a target. As he went low, Hana would swing her arm hard to one side, sometimes knocking a man clean out by a blow to the head, and sometimes catching someone on their weapon arm or chest, causing them to fall and stop their attack to heal themself.

Oboro and Hayato were also doing fine. The boy was taking a number of blows, but shrugged most of them off, casting through the pain. He had impressive defense. If he was to be the successor of the wind tribe, then it was in good hands. At least, strength wise. Saizo couldn't say anything as for the child's social skills or maturity as of yet, though from the screeches he heard before joining with Kaze, Hayato was likely lacking in the second department. Oboro was doing well backing him up, though she was having trouble wielding the heavy spear Robin had assigned her to use. Not only was in Nohrian craft, and thus of a different style than Oboro was used to, meaning it flew differently and would take some clever maneuvering, but its weight made it unwieldy.

Oboro had muscles, but she'd have to build more in order to use the spear effectively. She was managing though, and that was what mattered.

At the moment it wasn't even the enemies that were doing the most damage, but the spikes in the ground. Jakob had to pause more times than he would have liked, leaving Takumi to deal with a few enemies while the butler healed one of his companions whose feet were ripped to the point of limping.

Saizo looked through the woods after he and Kaze took down a pair of oni savages, sporting the man he had been hunting. Kotaro. He was grinning, and looking back at something out of sight. Cocky and overconfident, no doubt.

The woods were too thick for Saizo to pass through, though, so he'd have to go around them. The red haired ninja could only just barely see through the trees between he and the leader of the Mokushujin forces, and trying to maneuver his way through would be suicide. Even if he did squeeze his way through, the amount of noise that would make and time it would take would alert any and all nearby ninja to his presence, ending his mission before it could even begin.

"Kaze," Saizo began, nodding toward the slight gap in the trees that revealed Kotaro, "that is the leader of these troops, and the one who knows Kagero's location. He'll be much stronger than any of his minions, so be wary facing him. Now, our plan of attack is to-" he was unable to finish his sentence, cut off my a female voice.

"Saaaaiiizooo! And Kaaaazeee!" it rang, increasing in volume as a pegasus approached. Hana hopped off while it was still several feet in the air, rolling to lessen the impact of the fall. "Man, I thought I wouldn't be able to find those guys. Anyway, I need your help Saizo, or rather, Subaki right there does, so I'll let him tell you."

Subaki explained the situation with a lazy grin. "While flying over, Hana and I noticed a few chests that looked pretty valuable. My lockpicking skills are great, yes, but there's no better person to pick a lock than a ninja. So might you help me open the chest, as to help us take whatever's inside? Probably something valuable, given how deeply it's hidden. It seems like a chest someone would hide in case their village was attacked and they needed to get a last minute something while being chased."

Saizo looked back through the trees, over to where Kotaro was now talking to a shrine maiden standing nearby. That would be a problem while trying to fight him. The Mokushujin leader would have to go down in a single blow, then. But if he had to go with Subaki…

"Is it alright if I go with you instead, Subaki?"

Kaze spoke up, drawing Saizo's attention. The green ninja sent a glance at his brother, turning back to Subaki.

"I may not be in the same level as Saizo, but I assure you I can pick whatever kind of lock you could throw at me. It's one of my few skills. I think Saizo would be a much more effective attacker as well, and we're close enough to the leader of the group judging on the increasing density of opponents that it would be best if he stayed, rather than left to go open some random forest chest."

"That's fine by me. Hana, can you go with Saizo, then? I'll be back with Kaze in a little while. I'm counting on you," Subaki replied, waving Hana off.

Kaze left Saizo's side then, putting a hand on Subaki's pegasus' side to mount it. He stopped before hopping on, however, running back to Saizo and pulling him close. Whispering into his brother's ear, Kaze said one last thing before leaving with Sakura's male retainer.

"This is the reason you've been so angry, isn't it? You looked crushed when Subaki asked you to come with him and the prospect of fighting Kotaro dimmed. Not crushed in a way that anyone other than myself and a select few would notice though, so don't worry about being to expressive. I wish you luck in your battle. I'm off then."

Kaze took his position behind Subaki, and the sky knight kicked off, carrying himself and Kaze off to wherever the chest was located.

Saizo was left with Hana, who was almost jumping with anticipation. Her fists shook slightly, and she brought one to get chest to pound it twice.

"You can count on me to back you up, Saizo! We'll beat up everyone in the way and get Kagero back in no time. Then you two can get back to Lord Ryoma and protect him. What happened to separate you guys anyway? I thought the rule was that all royal retainers had to stay by their liege's side until death. Or in the case which you couldn't follow, which makes sense in Kagero's case, but what about you?" She questioned, looking to where Jakob and Takumi were continuing to carve a path through the Mokushujin blocking their way.

Once they made their way a little farther, she and Saizo would pass them up to take on the rest of the enemy. Jakob had a staff, but healing took time, so the plan was to let Takumi and Jakob do the first strike and accumulate the most injuries, so that they could back off and heal while Saizo and Hana went in. With less opponents, Saizo's team would receive less wounds, in theory, which was important due to their lack of healer. They still had to wait a few more moments, though.

Hana tapped her katana on the dirt, a soft thumping audible. The girl was young and excitable, and her position as Sakura's retainer was given when it was expected Sakura would stay out of any battlegrounds for at least a few more years. With that, Hana herself was appointed under the assumption she'd have a few years to connect with the princess and earn experience both battling the trainers found around Castle Shirasagi, and to study the ways other retainers acted and mature. Her eccentric nature was something her father was rumored to have had, so chances were a few more years away from fighting wouldn't have gotten rid of her impatience and recklessness, just toned it down.

She was skilled with a katana regardless of her demeanor and personality, which was the most important thing at the moment. And the girl was also staring at Saizo expectantly, waiting for him to say something. But what would…?

"Wait a minute…" she said, realization dawning on her face, "you don't even know where he is, do you?" Shock widened her open mouth to a large pout, and she opened her fists, placing palms on her hips. "How could you just _lose_ him like that!"

Saizo was at a loss for words, not entirely sure of what she was talking about.

"And who is it that I supposedly lost?" he asked, raising the eyebrow above his good eye.

"Who is- Lord Ryoma! You know, the guy you swore to protect! He's your liege - How could he possibly be so far from your mind that you didn't even consider him! The first rule of being a retainer is to have your lord's health and safety on your mind at all times! Right now I'm thinking about how Sakura's doing over with Corrin and Robin, but here you are off in la-la land not even realizing Lord Ryoma is gone! C'mon Saizo, you're the head retainer, and retainer to the crown prince. You're always so strict and protective of the royal family, so what's up with you now?" Hands left a slim waist to shake in the air, their motion and the shouting of their owner drawing a nearby ninja's attention.

He was quickly dealt with, Saizo receiving a small cut to his arm in the process. His sleeve had been torn open by the shuriken's blade, so he would need the be repairing it soon. Oboro would likely volunteer to do it as soon as they met back up, given her background in fashion and clothing repairs. If not, he would do it himself.

Hana drooped at her mistake, moving to attack a swordsman partially hidden by the trees. His positioning and the forest meant the samurai's view of the Hoshidans was blocked and thus that Hana's attack would be a surprise, but her recklessness got the better of her in that moment. She grunted just before swinging, and the enemy caught on. He swung around with all his might, his foot moving with him and catching Hana in the stomach. She stumbled, and before Saizo could reach her took a hard blow to her arm. The female samurai's hand spasmed. As she dropped her katana, her opponent kicked it away and lifted his own.

He dropped it before he could do further damage though, choking.

Shaking hands went to his throat in a flash, the sudden movement only serving to injure himself further as his fingers were pierced by the shuriken embedded in his neck. He took a step back and hit a tree, prevented from fleeing any further.

Saizo approached and put his hand on the man's wrists, slamming him into the tree. The action made the shuriken pierce further into the man's fingers. More force by the way of Saizo drove the metal completely through the samurai's palm, at odd angles because of the way bone blocked the edges at some points but not others.

The man struggled to breathe, unable to with the injuries he had sustained. The blows from the shurikem and Saizo's blow had severely damaged his neck, to the point of breaking or at least cracking some of the bones if the lopsided way his head fell back against the tree was any indicaton. Sadly for the man, it only enough to block his windpipe a considerable amount. Death would have been more pleasant.

He made a gurgling sound with each failed attempt to bring in air, tears building in his eyes from the pain of broken and bloody hands and neck. It was evident he couldn't breathe.

The Mokushujin samurai's lips shook as they moved to form silent words, likely those to a plea for life. Or for death, as death by asphyxiation was unpleasant, especially when combined with other wounds.

"This is for what you did to Igasato and my father. Your sins will not be forgiven."

Saizo hit the man's head onto the tree again, and stepped back. The man was unable to stand without Saizo's support, and he fell to the ground. With the tree behind him, the only place for the samurai to fall was forward, onto his knees and then completely down in front of Saizo's feet. Had he been an inch or two taller, he would have landed on them.

The force from Saizo shoving the man's own hands into the shuriken and his neck proved itself strong, as even as the man fell to the ground they remained in place, crossed over his neck and frozen. The man's garbled breaths and bloody chokes filled the air as Saizo walked away, approaching the point he and Hana had originally taken to watch Takumi and Jakob's progress. He would die shortly enough.

Hana picked up her katana and followed her fellow retainer. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Saizo, slightly afraid and unsure of what she could say.

"We leave in a minute. Can you still fight, or is your arm too injured to wield your katana?" Saizo's face held no expression. He stood ramrod straight and completely still, not bothering to face Hana as he addressed her.

"I…" Hana cut herself off, shaking slightly. She quickly downed a vulnerary, and shook her arm. The action made her wince. "I can. I'll use one arm so I won't be the most helpful but… do you have a concoction on you? I'm sure if I drink that, then I can-"

"Stay back then. There's no point in sending in an injured person. Your injury will slow you, and you'll presence will only to slow me as well if I have to worry about your well-being. I'll direct Jakob to you when the two of us pass. Follow him and have him fix your arm. I'll take on Kotaro by myself."

"Kotaro? Who's that? Is that their leader? I don't remember anyone mentioning his-"

"It's been a minute. Let's go."

Saizo rushed forward, dodging her question. There were only five enemies left- Kotaro, the shrine maiden, a ninja, an oni savage, and a samurai. A variety. With only shuriken and one person, Saizo would be at a disadvantage, but if he could use the surroundings correctly… Two against five was much better than one against five. If he had had Hana at his side he would have gone continued on immediately, confident of achieving victory. But as she left his side to follow Takumi and Jakob on their retreat, that confidence waned.

The pass of Hana to Jakob and Takumi wasn't direct, as she wasn't all that close to Saizo as she went away from the place she'd been hiding. It worked out to Saizo's benefit, though. As she ran away, she drew the attention of the four men around Kotaro, Kotaro himself not paying attention to his surroundings anyway. The stupid grin was still on his face, a sign of overconfidence that would be his death.

With all eyes on the three figures moving away from Saizo, no one thought to look where the ninja was.

He had moved after sending Hana off, and was perched on the branches of a large tree. Not larger than the others, because differentiation was terrible when trying to be discreet, but one large enough that if he was spotted he could slip to the other side of the trunk and avoid any projectiles thrown his way.

Height would also hurt in that it was harder to get down from tall trees. Rolling was a good way to lessen the impact of a long fall, but when the ground beneath you was covered in spikes, rocks, large roots, and shrubbery, rolling wasn't exactly an option. The mess on the forest floor also meant he'd have to plan his jump carefully as to not land on anything that could injure him, something that would be made even more of a challenge with increased height.

Picking his initial target was the first thing to do. The shrine maiden would prove troublesome, because she'd be a bother whether or not he eliminated her immediately. If he did kill her to start off, he's draw the others' attention without taking out anyone that could hurt him. On the other hand, it would be bad if he were to hit someone else and not deal a one hit kill (which he had been advised to avoid, anyway. The one ninja he had taken out could be overlooked, as Hana would keep quiet about it and he was generally out of the way, but anyone on the way to Kotaro couldn't. Corrin would walk past them and get upset, and while she and Saizo weren't entirely allies yet, upsetting her wasn't the smart thing to do when surrounded by those who were).

If he hit, say, the samurai, and they survived, then the shrine maiden could heal any damage Saizo had dealt. The rod she held must've been at full strength. Kotaro wasn't a complete idiot. As such, it would have a good fifteen or twenty uses in it, and Saizo didn't plan to get in twenty separate blows. Trying to wear it out was no use.

Attempting to hit the shrine maiden was out of the picture anyway. She was hiding behind Kotaro and a solid wall which Saizo's shuriken would not be able to pierce.

And Saizo wasn't going to risk hitting Kotaro. No, Kotaro would be the last one Saizo killed. And kill he would, regardless of Corrin's wishes. The man had committed an unforgivable crime, and he would pay for it. But he would also see the face of his death. That's why Saizo would not hit him from his position. No, any and all wounds he received would be in person. He wouldn't be left with an inkling of hope for survival or aid. A single long distance blow gave him the idea that his opponent was scared, and the distance meant the shrine maiden at his back could heal whatever damage he took. Saizo was no coward. He would deal with Kotaro straight on, and straight on only.

Being shirtless and having a wide chest, the oni savage was the easiest target. As the man turned around, his back to Saizo, Saizo threw the shuriken in his right hand. The ninja by his side noticed them and warned the club wielder, but it was too late. The slight movement the oni savage was able to make in the short time between the ninja's warning and the contact between shuriken and skin was enough to throw off the initial target of Saizo's attack. Instead of getting hit under the right shoulder blade, the shuriken hit the center of his back, making contact with his spine if the sudden jerk the man made was indication. His legs buckled under him as if all control of them was lost, and he reached out for the ninja. Shakily, he got to his feet, able to move them somewhat. A second shuriken from Saizo hit his calf, and the man went back down to the ground. Both were laced with a paralytic, so in a minute the man would be unable to turn or use that leg regardless of how much pain he was in or how much muscle Saizo had severed. One of five down.

The ninja supporting him looked up at the trees nearby, glancing around until his eyes fell on Saizo's dark figure. Shadowed or not, red was easily spotted in the middle of green trees.

Saizo left his place, running around the trees and into another patch nearby. The samurai went to his injured ally while the ninja chased after Saizo, a Mokushujin shuriken flying past Saizo's face. It didn't completely miss the Hoshidan retainer, however, glancing off his mask and making the noise of grating metal. If he hadn't been wearing it, then Saizo would've been sporting a cut deep enough to make a scar across his face, and long enough to be a horizontal match to the one across his eye.

Saizo threw back a shuriken in return, but missed his target. Cursing, he paused behind a tree, trying to get a look at his situation. With the forest cover, he'd be harder to hit, but if the other ninja snuck in then he could be jumped on.

A shuriken passed by a tree two feet away from him. Judging by the angle it was embedded in the tree at, Saizo estimated where his opponent was and momentarily kept to the side of the tree, flinging his own shuriken where he figured the Mokushujin ninja was. A small grunt meant he hit his target, and so Saizo left the patch of forest he'd been in.

Unfortunately, his path ran him directly over some of the spikes the Mokushujin had placed out as a trap, and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out as they broke into his shoes and bit into his feet.

The man behind him didn't however, and Saizo heard a quiet grunt as the samurai who'd been caring for the oni savage ran in to assist his friend in attacking the Hoshidan retainer. Saizo managed to dodge the samurai as well, but was essentially backed into a corner. If he could just-

Another shuriken came toward him, deflected by the metal of his wrist armor. The movement to block the shuriken had distracted Saizo though, and the samurai was back on him, catching Saizo on the stomach before he had the chance to get away. It wasn't a fatal wound, and he could keep going, but it slowed him considerably. Using his proximity to the samurai to his advantage, Saizo kicked at the man's feet and jumped back, catching on to the man's foot and quickly dragging him down. The samurai's head hit the dirt floor, but he was still conscious. Another similar blow would knock him out, but landing it was the hard question.

By jumping away at a horizontal, Saizo had propelled himself back into the spikes. Where he was, his weight was distributed evenly enough that he hadn't been completely skewered, but the points still dug into his back and legs, and he'd have to be careful getting up as not to pierce his hands. The breeze that brought wind to his back through the ripped cloth as he stood aggravated the new wounds, and Saizo felt both a painful sting and a full ache across his body. They were things staves could heal, but he was beginning to worry he wouldn't be able to defeat the two in front of him and still succeed at killing Kotaro without aid. Maybe if he tried hard-

The ninja came close and grabbed Saizo by the scarf, ready to both choke and slam him back down into the spikes. A shuriken hit the man's hand though, saving Saizo. The ninja cursed and tore out the shuriken, ready to throw it back at the attacker, but before he could another one hit him in his other hand, and a third his torso. With a high kick he was knocked to the ground. Saizo's savior standing over his body. Above both the unconscious ninja and Saizo was Kaze, breathing heavily.

"As soon as Subaki dropped me off from having unlocked the chest, I ran over. I know you wanted to do this on your own, and that you might have been able to, but I was worried. So… I'm sorry for breaking rank. You take their leader, I'll distract the shrine maiden," Kaze explained, putting out a hand. Saizo grabbed it and pulled himself up, rising to a standing position.

The samurai he'd knocked down finally had enough control of his movements to attack though, and went for Kaze who was facing the other direction. The stamp of his foot and noise of a sword cutting through air alerted Kaze though, and he dodged, throwing a shuriken just as Saizo did the same, the two weapons hitting the man in either side. A blow to the temple knocked him out completely. The man's injuries were severe, but he would survive. For the moment, Saizo's death count was only one. By the end of the day, it would hopefully be two.

Kaze looked down at the samurai, and back to Saizo. "...Thank you, Saizo. I'll go for the maiden by way of the nearby forest. I'll give you our standard signal once in in place."

"I'll look out for it."

Kaze left, and Saizo stood alone. He stared down at the two Mokushujin at his feet for a moment. Did they support whatever it was Kotaro had planned, or had they fought because of devotion to their leader? Did they even know of the attack on his father led by Kotaro and their people that brought on Saizo the Fourth's death? Letting out his anger on the unknowing and uninvolved wasn't fair. But the unrelenting hate had only built over the years, and every Mokushujin Saizo saw reminded him of the crimes one of their people had committed. Every enemy he saw reminded him even former allies could go bad, and that he had pent up anger just waiting to be released.

If he killed Kotaro, would that finally go away?

A repeated triple flash at a familiar interval came after his thought, and Saizo gave his own signal in response to tell Kaze to go for his target. Kotaro was at last within reach. He would avenge his father's death. He would bring justice, and deliver a brutal punishment to the leader of the Mokushujin bastards who had kidnapped his fellow retainer.

Kotaro turned at the scream the shrine maiden let out when Kaze dropped onto her, throwing an arm over her mouth and knocking her rod down. He quickly dragged the woman back as her limbs flailed, struggling to get free. Before Kotaro could move to free her, a katana soared past his head. Saizo had relinquished the object from the samurai he'd just beaten, but wouldn't be using it otherwise. It was much more useful as an attention drawing prop than a personal weapon in that case. A shuriken was too small, and he didn't want to waste a single one.

"Kotaro of Mokushu," Saizo spat, glare digging into the older man before him, "you will pay for what you've done."

The man let out a short laugh, crossing his arms. He was intrigued by the unknown man before him.

"Me? Why would I pay for a crime I have no knowledge of, and to some wannabe no-name ninja who has burst into my territory trying to play hero? I see no reason to." Kotaro smirked, undisturbed by Saizo's resolve,

"Some no-name ninja wannabe? I am not some nameless fake. I am Saizo the Fifth, retainer to the crown prince of Hoshido, and you will not get away from me this time!" Saizo shouted. He raised a hand clasping a steel shuriken, coated with the strongest poison he had on him. Kotaro eyed the weapon, smirk dropping once the processed the gleam it had, a shine attributed to its toxic coating.

"Saizo is it? That name sounds familiar, even if you aren't someone I've ever seen before." He turned around, making a small circle. Slow, snapping steps matched the periodic tapping of a finger to his chin, before he spun rapidly to face Saizo, fake realization on his face. "Oh yes I _do_ know that name! I've killed people of the lineage after all. I don't know why you'd give it out though. The name of a failure isn't impressive after all. And I still haven't the slightest clue who you are. Are we supposed to have met, or are you just assuming your reputation is bigger than it is?"

Two pairs of eyes narrowed, each for different reasons. Kotaro's did because he was attempting to strengthen his glare. Saizo was already glaring, and narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the man's insult. He was digging his grave deeper and deeper.

Although, the man didn't deserve a deep grave. He deserved a shallow one, where he would be dug up and trampled on by wild animals, destroyed by the elements and lost forever.

"My father was no failure, you wretch. And the Saizo line isn't something for you to mock as you have. My father was a proud and honorable man, as is our family rightfully distinguished! I will not allow you to desecrate the Saizo name such as this!"

Saizo's view of Kaze was not good from where he stood, as he was only able to see a small portion of fluttering purple cloth. But he wasn't sure he wanted to be able to see his brother. Saizo hadn't told Kaze of his findings in the search for his father's killer, not of the source of the hate that characterized him the past few years. Now, it was all coming to light.

"Oh, that man was your father, was he? Well _now_ I recognize you. You're that brat that snuck across our borders a few years ago, aren't you. I remember one of my guards mentioning he cut a pathetic red headed intruder across the face a while back. A young ninja who apparently sought revenge, and was trying to dig up dirt on us. On me, specifically. But you never reached me. I guess this is an achievement then. We've finally met. But your success will end here. You were wrong in your assumption that you could get me then and you are wrong in your assumption that you will get me now. Death would be too kind a punishment for someone such as you. I think I'll give you a matching scar across your left eye. That way you can stumble home blind, full of shame and a testament to your failure of a family. Your father was a pathetic old fool. You're exactly the same. Slightly younger, but it's always more of a tragedy to hurt the young than the old. What do you say, kid? Killing your father wasn't all that entertaining, but making you suffer will be much better!" Kotaro bellowed, letting out a long laugh. He raised his arms and puffed out his chest, making himself a larger target. It was as if he was asking Saizo to just try and hit him, because he was going to miss anyway. The blow dealt to Saizo the Fifth's pride was not one easily shrugged off.

"You really were directly responsible for his death then… you coward!"

"Coward? I'm no coward. I may not have directly faced him… and gotten him when he was down, but that was his own fault. No good ninja would leave himself so exposed, even when ill or injured! Besides, I'm facing you face to face, aren't I? To make you feel better, I'll even use the same blade I wielded to kill your father. Then it will be a true repeat of the event! And how, poetic, too. To fell father and son with the same blade… Prepare yourself. You will not leave victorious today. You and your clan will die."

"Poetic, hm? Then I'm about to rewrite your poem."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try. If you're truly your father's son, then you won't be able to land even a single blow."

The two ninja moved simultaneously. The culmination of several years of anger on Saizo's part, and of crimes committed by a man without a care in the world, past becoming king of it all.

It was ended in mere seconds.

Saizo's steel shuriken had pierced Kotaro's armor, at the top left portion of his chest, the blow and poison delivered directly to the Mokushujin ninja's heart. The beating organ, injured but still going, would push the weapon's coating with the rest of his blood throughout the man's body. The posion that was a mixture of two. One a deadly toxin, the other a torture device. The man would suffer in his last moments.

"How's that?" Saizo chipped. "Did I land a single blow?"

Kotaro gurgled in response, coughing and choking as the poison's effects showed themselves. Within the minute, he was dead.

"Father… you have been avenged."

Saizo walked up to Kaze, the two silent. Kaze was the first to speak.

"So he was the one to kill father?"

"Yes."

"And the reason you've been so consumed by anger the last few years.

"...Yes."

Kaze gave a small smile.

"Then I'm glad that's over with. May father's soul finally be able to rest in peace."

Saizo looked up to the sky, breathing deeply.

"Mm. May father's soul be able to rest in peace."

A true smile graced Saizo's features with his words, the first real one he'd had in a while. His mask hid it from Kaze's view, but by the widening of Kaze's own a second later, Saizo had the feeling his brother could tell.

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 **Author's Note:** **This ending may seem abrupt, as we haven't gotten to actually rescuing Kagero, but I felt it was a fitting ending. And I've reached 10,000 words. I based a lot of Kaze and Saizo's conversation off a combination of their supports and the in game chapter, and it made me realize I've never fully considered how their relationship works. Kaze had a little bit of an inferiority complex it seems, especially when faced with Saizo. He stutters and trails off, and doesn't seem confident in the least. But he tries to please and help his brother all he can, which I really like. Additionally, I absolutely** _ **love**_ **how the conversation between Saizo and Kotaro goes, especially its phrasing, so I took a few lines directly from the chapter dialogue. Just 1-3 though, I think. Can't exactly remember.**

 **I also felt it fitting to give the chapter spotlight to Saizo here, rather than Robin. I'm not sure how many more times this will happen, writing from someone other than Robin's POV. I didn't plan on it until I got here and realized how well it would work. But that's this entire story, really. At this point I only have 2 things planned: The very,** _ **very**_ **end (probably last 1,000 words end), and one other small scene that I haven't worked out how to work in yet. Oh, and a pairing. The only concrete one. So have fun making guesses and suggesting scenes, everyone. Your guesses for what will happen are just as good as mine, and as I've said it before, if I like them they might make it into the actual story.**

 **I want to give a special shout out to L2X, Darkness21, and AnonymousGeek. I've had lots of reviews, and a few people who've reviewed more than once, but you three have reviewed almost every chapter. It means a lot to me. Really. I can't tell you how much it makes me smile when I see a review, especially from a returning reviewer. Thank you so much, and I hope you and everyone else are having a nice day!**

 **Last thing… I've had this done for a little while, but haven't posted it because I wanted to proofread. Which means I've already started on the next chapter. And by started I mean I have 14,000 words written. And am not done. About 5,000 words are dedicated to finishing up stuff that comes up in this chapter, and the rest are for the next in-game chapter (I'm not including the 5k here because I really love this ending). Would you guys rather I post a 5,000 word chapter then a 10-13,000 word chapter, or would you rather I post a single 16-18,000 word chapter? Because that's just how the split would work out, and I'm not sure what to do. Next chapter will probably come out on Christmas or the first day of Hanukkah if it's the latter, and maybe at the end of next week or the middle of the one after if it's the former.**

 **Originally posted December 10, 2016. ~10,800 words without ANs. 11,342 with.**

 **Thank you for reading, please review if you have the time, and I hope to see you next chapter.**


	12. Ninja Rainbow!

**Author's Note: Happy 2017, everyone! May this year be better than the last, whether you thought 2016 was the best year to have ever passed upon this year, or one so terrible it should be skipped over in the history books! Well, not completely skipped. Fates came out in North America and Europe (and other places, maybe, I'm not sure) in 2016, so they've got to include that. Anyway, this chapter is shorter than most of the others, but it was either have a 5,000 word chapter and a 10,000 word chapter, or a single 15,000 word chapter. The former won the vote. Only thing I have left to say is that it's been decided that Robin was unmarried in Awakening. It would be weird to barely include it as of chapter 12, so that's that. If I do include Gerome he'll have to have a different Father. In all 6 of my playthroughs, he's been the son of either Frederick, Robin, or Lon'qu, so oh well. If he's mentioned here I'll just skip over his parentage. This is getting long, so I won't go on any more. Thank you for 100 reviews (116 now), 175+ favorites, and 275+ follows. I hope you continue to read, and without further ado, enjoy.**

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By the time Robin made his way over to where the woman he assumed to be Kagero was, she'd already been untied and was making conversation with Saizo. The red ninja was on the ground, shirtless, with Jakob bent over him. The butler looked annoyed, fretting over the many puncture wounds on the Saizo's back, the ninja himself silent and with both eyes closed. It looked like one of them was twitching ever so slightly, though, so it seemed the annoyance was mutual. If Robin had to take a guess about the wonds' origin, he'd say Saizo had fallen into one of the numerous spike traps that littered the Mokushujin forest. He didn't seem too bothered by his injuries, more unhappy about Jakob's mutterings, but Robin knew from experience that the man would be aching all over the next day.

A few seconds after arriving, Saizo addressed the woman as Kagero, and Robin's assumption was affirmed. Like Kaze and Saizo, Kagero was also a ninja, though in a different color scheme. With a pink… whatever you'd call her vest-top-dress thing, and a yellow scarf, she and the other two Hoshidan ninja retainers made an almost complete rainbow. They had red with Saizo, no orange, yellow with Kagero, green with Kaze, blue with Saizo again, pink back with Kagero, and finally purple by Kaze. Either they would have to gain a fully orange companion, or one of them was going to have to get fancy. Although, Kagero's scarf was on the more orange side of yellow… So it could technically be considered orange. Maybe Robin could convince her to switch out her white hair ribbon with a bright yellow one. Then the rainbow ninja trio would be complete.

They probably wouldn't care. Or listen.

…

Although if he asked Corrin and Ryoma-

"Robin!" someone shouted, drawing the man's attention.

"Hmm?"

In front of him was Sakura, cheeks red. She must have run to get over to where the others were. It was kind of cute.

"What's up Sakura? Do you need something from me?" he responded, hands on his hips. During the earlier battle he and Orochi had done fine, so Robin hadn't received any injuries a vulnerary couldn't deal with. He thus hadn't had to go finding Sakura, sticking to his position to defeat anyone that came his way. At one point Orochi did leave their place to find the princess, worrying about a wound that had been closed up by the only concoction they had but would possibly leave a scar without a rod, but Robin himself hadn't made contact since they all separated.

"Oh, n-no. I was just wondering if you've seen Corrin. Everyone but she and Gunter are back…" the young princess stuttered, wringing her hands.

Robin glanced around, noting everyone's conditions. Saizo seemed to be the worst off, though he was handling his injuries the best considering their magnitude. Hana was a little whiny, which wasn't helped by the fact that Subaki was trying to rile her up. Whenever she ruffled in response to something he said, she'd wince and moan an 'owww' before glaring at him and sizing back up, further aggravating her wounds. Mainly one she had on her arm, judging by the state of her left sleeve, which was bloodied and torn.

Subaki only had minor wounds, as did his pegasus. He was caring for the winged beast as he argued with Hana though, giving his mount more attention than he'd sought for himself. It would be best to heal his own wounds before trying to care for others, but Robin wasn't Subaki's direct boss. He could be told that by either Sakura or Saizo. Sakura was his liege, and Subaki took everything she said as a challenge to complete perfectly. The ninja on the other hand was one of the crown prince's retainers, and from what Robin understood chief over even Kagero, so he should've held authority over the others. That thankfully included the power to give them instructions that they'd listen to.

Oboro was talking with Hinata, both with small nicks but cheerful. The latter had a small nick on his cheek, opposite the cross shaped scar he had on the other side, and was joking about getting another one to match. Oboro wasn't laughing, going on about how he had to be more careful.

To their left Hayato and Rinkah had gotten together again, the younger of the two boasting about how great a help he'd been, so skilled as to protect even a valiant warrior such as Oboro when she could not do it herself. Rinkah was unamused, and instead shot back with her own feats. Was she feeling incompetent in the wake of his supposed exploits? That was kind of funny.

Orochi was speaking to Takumi, and Reina chatting with Azura a short distance away. Though what Orochi was doing was more talking _at_ Takumi, and backing him up to a tree while she did it. The prince was blushing hard and looked uncomfortable, face turned down as to not look Orochi in the eye.

Robin clicked his tongue and looked back to Sakura, shrugging.

"I haven't seen her since a few minutes into the fighting, but I'm sure Corrin will show up at any moment now. Don't worry about it, okay?" Robin reassured, taking Sakura's hands in his own.

The girl stood still for a moment, nodding slowly a few second later. Then her eyes widened at the sight of Robin's hands covering her own and she blushed red, not quite as red as her brother, but still impressively so. She jerked them back and took a few steps away from Robin, shaking her head furiously, pink hair bouncing about. The girl's actions were sure interesting, Robin had to admit. He'd never met a person with such fierce reactions to everything, nor someone who moved so much in response to a single sentence. Or two, he supposed, since he split them up.

Sakura's question was still well deserved, since every other group had already arrived aside from Corrin's. Robin was starting to get worried as well. He walked over to where Subaki was, patting the man on the shoulder. He looked at Robin, and Robin pointed back the way he came.

"Is your pegasus in good enough condition to fly over that way? Corrin and Gunter are missing, and since it's been a while some of us are getting worried. Including your liege."

Subaki's eyes widened, and he slid the brush in his hands into the pouch at his pegasus' side. While talking to Hana, he'd taken off some parts of his armor, so he quickly started to put them back on, frowning when he realized the state it was in and the repairs he'd have to make. Or maybe when he realized that it wasn't perfect, rather quite damaged, and that wearing it would sully his perfect image.

The sound of flapping wings behind Robin surprised the tactician, and he turned to see Reina ready atop her now bloodstained kinshi. Corrin wouldn't be too happy when they met up. Hopefully it just meant she had injured many, many people, as opposed to having caused a few people to bleed to death in some weird fantasy she had to soak herself in the bodily fluid. She seemed the type to do that. But Robin really didn't want to confirm, so he'd just leave her be.

"You wait there. I'll go find her, okay kiddo?" she said sweetly, scratching her kinshi's head. "Subaki hasn't been over the way we were fighting, so he doesn't know which places Corrin would be at. Sending him in would take too much time. Plus, Redrum and I can go faster than he can, so it'll be more effective. And I'm in better shape, so in case there are any straggler Mokushujin who still want blood, I can take them out nice and quick. Does that sound good to you?"

Robin and Subaki nodded quickly, both a tad bit disturbed. With a rapid motion Reina turned her kinshi and set it off, flying back the way she had come.

Kinshi were truly beautiful creatures, and Robin was disappointed there weren't any back in Arit. He'd love to see some at least every once in a while, and once he went home that would be gone (because he'd figure out a way to get home, eventually. Everyone was waiting for him. They wouldn't just give up on him, would they? Although, parting with everyone here would be…)

The kinshi's shimmering tail feathers and elegant sheen were impressive, and much more interesting than the plain pegasi the tactician was accustomed to. So far Robin hadn't seen any falcons or dark pegasi, but they may have been found only in Nohr. Then again, Jakob had mentioned sky knights were exclusive to Hoshido, so chances were the two species didn't exist in Archaea. Or at least Canta, but Valla had seemed pretty barren during his trip there. The beasts found in Hoshido were likely the only large feathered flyers around. Too bad.

By walking over to Subaki, Robin was finally within earshot of Kagero, and he her, so the ninja shouted over to him.

"You there! With the white hair and dark coat," the ninja called, standing. "Come here for a moment, please."

Robin raised an eyebrow at the brusqueness of her first two sentences, contrasting with the hastily tacked on 'please' to the third that attempted to make her words polite.

"Yes?" He replied delicately, walking over with soft steps, hands in his pockets. When he had originally gotten his coat it hadn't had any on its exterior despite the four on its interior. But Robin wasn't going to be some low-class, pocket-less heathen. He was better than that.

"Saizo told me you organized this mission to rescue me. Thank you for that." Kagero gave a quick bow. "I do have to ask though, what exactly is your relation to Corrin? From what I understand, the man healing Saizo is Corrin's personal servant, and the knight with her at the moment is her guard. But you, the fourth Nohrian, have not been given an association. So I would like to know, if you will. It's pertinent to both the safety of myself and my comrades that the secret of your acquaintance is revealed."

Kagero's face stayed relatively blank, but her brow wrinkled slightly. Robin chuckled, and another tiny wrinkle was added to her forehead.

"Ah that? That's a pretty big deal. I can't go around just revealing such personal things such as that, especially not to someone who I've known for all of twenty seconds, known of for less than an hour, and may be part of an army looking to take my head!" Scratching his chin, Robin put his gaze to sky, a thoughtful look on his face. "But… since Saizo listened to me and was a big help, and since I'm pretty sure we'll have Ryoma on our side soon anyway, it can't hurt that much."

Robin cleared his throat very loudly, and took in a deep breath to begin what would be a fun, but long, story.

"Now then, it all started four years ago. As you may or may not know, Corrin was placed in a fort once she was kidnapped and brought to Nohr, one she was never allowed to leave. As a precaution, Garon ordered a magical barrier be put around that fort. A complex one that required the help of several senior mages, in addition to constant input from some minor ones. My parents, having been former members of King Garon's personal guard, were tasked with designing and conjuring the barrier, making occasional adjustments and repairs, and assisting in its maintenance."

By this time, Robin had gained everyone's attention, and was surrounded by a circle of Hoshidans. Azura had left with Reina, and Jakob was slightly behind the circle, still healing Saizo, with a look on his face that just screamed 'you've got to be kidding me.' He didn't say anything to stop Robin though, so the tactician continued with his 'childhood story,' which he was making up on the go.

"You know, considering that you couldn't really say it all began four years ago, but four years ago marks the day we met, my good friend and I. My parents and the rest of the Nohrian Armor Fort Barrier Internal Powering Squad were looking to add a new member to the team, and decided I was fit to join. So, they gave me the task of learning the ins and outs of the fort, telling me that if I could make a model of it in a month's time, I could join NAFBIPS. My whole childhood I'd heard of NAFBIPS, ranging from tales of glory to the old nursery rhyme, 'The wise old witch Mcfips, queen of the great Nafbips.'"

"Anyway, during that month I wandered the fort to familiarize myself with its layout, and during that time I made one of my best friends. With long light hair, and a glorious laugh, I knew we two were meant to be not just good acquaintances, but lifelong companions. They lived in the fort, spending all their days there, and hadn't spent much time in the outside world before going inside, so I felt the need to tell them about it.

"That friend, who's stayed by my side to this very day…" Robin 'recalled,' looking to his right with a forced tear in his eye, "was Jakob. The best man I've ever known, and someone I'm blessed to be able to spend time with. He and I just… I still get emotional thinking about our friendship and all the joy he's brought me." Robin wiped away the tears, sniffling a bit for added effect. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jakob's jaw drop. It was hard to keep himself from laughing at the sight.

"Jakob, a servant of the fort, knew every nook and cranny, and helped teach me all he knew of the stone building. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would have passed the rest to join NAK…. uh, NAFBIPS.

"Anyway skip forward three and a half years and I'm working in the fortress to strengthen some barriers in the interior when a whole bunch of Nohrian royals walk by, accompanied by some girl I'd never seen. She walked them to the door and they waved goodbye, the four of them walking away while she remained inside. Now I'd seen just about everyone in the fort, but never this girl, so I went up to ask her what she was doing. I apparently wasn't very intimidating though. She just blinked and asked the same of me. Thankfully, my knight in shining armor Jakob showed up and interrupted me before I could say anything incriminating. He introduced the two of us, and for the next half a year the three of us went on frequent outings- I mean, trips around the fort that were as close to outings as outings could be - and became good friends. One day she left the fort, Garon sending her out on a scouting mission to the Bottomless Canyon…

"Well, with no Corrin, there was no reason to hold up the barrier around the fort. My parents and I were fired on the spot. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but with no more ties to the Nohrian upper class, I was evicted from my house, all my possessions still inside. Furthermore, that month there had been a terrible plague passing through the area, and my parents both fell ill. If I had the money, I could've bought them medicine, but without a place of employment I had no more income, and couldn't afford the thing that would have saved their lives. Less than a week after she left, I was broke, homeless, parentless, and without a job, all because of Corrin."

Hana and Hayato let out small gasps, and Jakob was making such a strange expression Robin had to take a moment to bring a sleeve up to his face to hide his smile he couldn't hold back anymore.

Kagero gave him a curious expression because of the movement, so Robin came up with a hasty excuse. "I'm sorry, I get a bit emotional thinking back to it. Covering the face is a way to cope, they say… Moving on, I had nothing. So, I decided to go for revenge, hunting down Corrin with everything I had. Finally, I found her, running away from a battlefield on the plains of Hoshido, accompanied by Azura and Jakob. When I moved to attack her, Jakob jumped in front of Corrin, begging me not to harm her. But it was too late. The blow from my sword had landed, and he fell bleeding to the ground. I cried out in horror and knelt down to pick up his bloody body, sobbing as the light drained from his eyes and he went unconscious.

"Thankfully, Corrin had a concoction on her, one she gave to Jakob, saving his life. In that moment, she had saved my most precious person, and I knew she couldn't have been all that terrible. So, I tried to make amends. Plus, after seeing Jakob so badly injured, I decided I could never let it happen again. The only way to do that, though, was to stay by his side, which meant I would have to join Corrin. So that's why I'm here. By organizing our strategies I can always make sure Jakob isn't in over his head, and will always know where he is in case I'm ever worried. Because that's what best friends do for each other, and I know without a doubt Jakob and I are each other's number ones."

All around Robin were teary eyes and slightly open mouths, some people looking taken aback at Robin's emotions.

But of course _someone_ just _had_ to ruin the moment.

"Hey guys, I'm back. What's going on? Why is everyone circling around Robin?"

Corrin had finally been collected, the girl hopping down from Gunter's horse while the knight himself remained mounted. Reina and Azura were right behind, both curious.

"Robin here was just telling us the story of how you two met. It was… touching. Your younger days and the fort, Jakob's devotion to you both, your recent reintroduction…" Kagero said, looking touched.

"Our…? We met in a field after Ryoma and Xander fought over who would be taking me home. What are you talking about?" the white haired princess shot back, quite clearly confused.

"Yeah, he told us about that. The field and how he walked up to you, ready to get his revenge, but stopped because of Jakob's valiant sacrifice. I gotta give it to you, Mr. Butler, you've got more guts than I thought," Rinkah answered, nodding over at Corrin's younger servant who was still torn over what to do.

"Um, excuse me if I'm misunderstanding," Azura interrupted, walking to Corrin's side, "but Robin didn't 'walk up to' us. He was quite unconscious when we met him. And I don't remember Jakob performing any kind of 'valiant sacrifice' either. Is there something I'm missing?"

All eyes turned to Robin, and he sighed, slumping over.

'Yeah, the joke…'

Rubbing his head, he straightened. "Well, you've caught me. Everything I just said was a lie, by the way. I have no idea who my parents are, what they did, or whether or not Jakob has spent most of his life in that fort and if he was allowed to leave. And the two of us plus Corrin and Azura met for the first time in that field, where I was happily snoozing away until they woke me up. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you believed me. I was making that all up as I went, and even started to skip a couple times, eheh…"

A roll of bandages flew past his head, making Robin duck to avoid it. Then a shoe came for him, which he was unable to dodge in his crouched position.

"Okay, I may or may not have deserved that, but I wasn't the only one who played a part in this! What about Jakob, who was just standing here! Or Takumi and Sakura, to whom I described _all_ of my memories, which do not include my parents! Or ever knowing Corrin! You were there when I told Izana how Corrin and I met- heck, Takumi even said it once for me! Don't put all the blame on me, I was just rolling with what I had…"

A plethora of sighs sounded, and Robin sighed, ducking behind Gunter and his horse when the pair to the first shoe flew past him. Thankfully he managed to dodge that time. But he wasn't going to risk getting hit again, so he opted to stay in his hiding place until they had to move again. The others seemed fine with it, and resumed conversation.

Kagero started with a question to Corrin, "Lady Corrin, what is it that you're doing here? I heard that you were planning attacks on Hoshido after refusing to join Ryoma. What good would rescuing one of his retainers do you in getting revenge? From what Saizo's said, I wouldn't think your plan to execute me yourself, but I cannot see why you'd go out to your way to help someone such as me."

Corrin shrugged and gave a nervous laugh.

"Well actually… rescuing you wasn't really my original intent. You see, Kaze here is the reason we came in the first place. Saizo put up a smoke signal when he was going to rescue you, which Kaze spotted and recognized. Technically it was a distress signal, which you probably know if you could see it from where you were, but Kaze was worried so I decided to come look for Saizo and help him out. We ended up surrounded in doing so. To get out we fought our way through, which ended up freeing you in the progress," the girl said, shrugging again. Then her eyes widened and she tensed up, shaking her hands in front of her face.

"N-not that I wouldn't want to rescue you or anything! I'm glad we did, after all everyone deserves to get rescued! But uh, yeah. We were surrounded and needed to survive, so we took out everyone around, and saved you while doing it. Um, is that a good explanation?"

From behind Gunter's horse Robin pursed his lips at Corrin's exclusion of an answer to a certain question. He picked up the shoe thrown at him that was close enough to grip and tossed it near Corrin, the footwear landing near her bare feet. She looked back at him and Robin mouthed 'revenge.' Corrin caught on after a few seconds and spun back around, addressing the topic.

"Oh yeah, and one last thing. I'm not looking for revenge. I didn't refuse to side with Ryoma because I hate him or Hoshido or anything like that. I love him with all my heart. It's just that I have a pretty big heart, and have some extra room for my family in Nohr, so I couldn't just betray them either. Maybe they kidnapped me, but can you even say that? It was Garon that did that. Xander and Camilla and Leo and Elise had nothing to do with it, and they've only ever been nice to me. I couldn't just turn on them like that. All I want is for everyone to get along.

"I know it may seem like an impossible task, but I know that I can do it, somehow. It may take a while, and I'll need a lot of help, but I will get it done. Hoshidans and Nohrians can get along. I know it. Especially my siblings. They're all great people, and I know that if anyone can do it, it's them. Truly."

Kagero nodded in understanding, but Sakura butted in to support her sister regardless.

"P-plus, Takumi and I are with her, so she's got to be trustworthy…"

"Of course. I apologize for doubting you, Lady Corrin, but please understand my post requires it."

"Don't worry about it!"

A moment's silence filled the air, Robin peeking out from his hiding place to get a better look at his situation. Most of the others had tuned out Kagero and Corrin's conversation, the only ones paying real attention being the two women themselves, Jakob, Sakura, Kaze and Saizo, and partially Takumi.

"Kagero," Saizo cut in, "do you have information regarding our liege's whereabouts?"

Kagero nodded.

"That and more. He was on his way to Cheve, according to the last message I received from him. He is currently planning on allying himself with a group of rebels there who are looking to rise up against the Nohrian government. They have long lived under Garon's tyrannical hand and have long tired of it. They're planning on using the distraction of the war to gain the upper hand, and Lord Ryoma aims to use that to his advantage, hoping his work with the rebels will create a friendship strong enough to convince them to help sneak Hoshidans across the border. Cheve is a border town, after all, so it is one of the best places to cross for us. I was planning on bringing this message back to you at Fort Jinya when I was apprehended. I apologize for my carelessness. Not only have I taken up your time, but I have delayed Lord Ryoma's words, which is a much greater offense."

"Don't dwell on it. Mokushu and Hoshido have an alliance in place; you were only acting according to the terms of our treaty. Suspicion is good, but some may have called avoiding Mokushu and taking the long route paranoia or distrust. Though your route through this land may not have been the best, it wasn't a completely terrible or incorrect decision. Just remember to be cautious, and to take all precautions you can. Even your best friend can turn on you if they are offered enough in return.

"But don't dwell on it. For now we need to head to Cheve. Did Lord Ryoma inform you of his route, or just his destination?" Saizo had stood in the middle of his speech, putting his top back on as he finished addressing Kagero

"The latter, I'm afraid. And what do you think will happen with Mokushu now? According to the rules of the treaty, Mokushu would be absorbed back into Hoshido if it were to break the terms of the treaty and attack a member of the royal family."

Robin's eyes widened from where he was. Saizo also looked mildly disturbed by the occurrence and probably result, but Orochi saved them some of the trouble of consideration.

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that. The treaty itself says only that Mokushu would be absorbed into Hoshido if it mobilized its army to attack us, or if it used its power to injure one of the royal family. From what I can see, Sakura is uninjured, and though Takumi has some scuffed up clothing, I don't see any wounds upon his body. Why, do any of the rest of you _respectable Hoshidans and royal retainers_ see any injuries upon Takumi's body? I hear that he and the rest of you got into a small scuffle with an individual not a part of Mokushu before setting foot in Mokushujin territory. Perhaps it was him that ruffled Takumi up, don't you think? And those rebels we fought were quite the rag tag team. Some of them might have belonged to the military, but based on the way they fought together I wouldn't say they were an actual regiment or squad... Thus, we're the terms of the treaty really violated to the point of having to take Mokushu in? Sure, they were violated to the point of an apology and some minor fees or tribute, but nothing so major as to dissolve the state and take it into our own, right?" Orochi explained, ending with a wink.

"But-" Hinata began, immediately cut off by Reina.

"And it's a good thing the treaty hasn't been violated too. Hoshido already has enough on its plate as it is. Not only has the queen just been killed, but the barrier that's protected it for years is down. Plus, her successor Ryoma isn't even in the country, and the castle town is in the midst of repairs after a certain explosion. Add in the fact that her old advisor is acting as a stand-in ruler, the current head of Hoshido doesn't even have the true authority to decree the retaking of Mokushu. He would have to be the one to approve it, and approving something you yourself asked for the approval of could be seen as corrupt. No, it is a lucky thing indeed that the treaty has not been violated in any major way, and that we have so many trustworthy and high class witnesses to confirm the fact."

Robin was glad to have some more people that knew how to work around things and what logic was around. It made his job a lot easier.

As long as they didn't help too much. He did like doing what he did. Sometimes it was just nice to be reassured he wasn't standing around surrounded by an endless mix of people who frustrated him. But he didn't want to be rendered obsolete either. That was one of his biggest worries.

With the new information Robin had gained, he announced to the group that the trip to Mitotsu was canceled. No one opposed the idea, so they prepared to leave. Before going further though, Corrin made sure all of the still living Mokushujin were relatively okay, and that none of them were in conditions as to die from their wounds. Only the two men Saizo had killed, one woman who'd attempted to ambush Reina, and an unfortunate samurai who tripped into one of Takumi's arrows had died. It was a relatively successful day. One that ended with Reina complaining about how Saizo got to kill more people than her, but successful otherwise.

After Corrin checked up on everyone, Kagero located Kotaro's second in command and got them to sign an agreement to look over the incident of that day the most they could, and to postpone any retribution for the events until after the war was over. They agreed, and Kagero wrote it up, she and the man signing it before she tied it up and sent it with a messenger bird toward the capital. It would be flying solely over Hoshidan territory from there on out, and there were apparently rules in place not to injure any of its kind, so the message would be safe and in Yukimura's hands within the next few days.

With that they set off for the port, looking to find a ship that would take them around to Cheve.

* * *

 **Author's Note: By the way, in my google docs where this is a part of the super long chapter I haven't quite finished so decided to split, this part is entitled "Rescuing Kagero." "Ninja Rainbow!" is just so much more fun, though, and I'm feeling giddy, so that's what's here. For now at least. I might change it later. Not like this is a super serious or formal story anyway, but meh. Now shoutout time! Thank you to** **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark who went through the story to review every chapter. That takes real dedication when you're going through a multi-chaptered story that's already up rather than one that you review as each chapter comes out. Hard to describe, but you have my thanks.**

 **There's more I want to say, but I forgot. As long as I'm thinking of it though, this year I got Path of Radiance and The Sacred Stones as holiday presents, so that's great. Now I just need FE7 and FE11 to have all the English FE games. Although I've watched the beginning of an FE11 playthrough and the graphics really aren't my thing. I have to finish the games I have before I get more though, so we'll see. That's it, see you later.**

 **Originally posted January 1st, 2017. ~5,200 words without ANs.**

 **Thank you one last time for reading, and please leave a review if you have the time.**

 **Eruran out.**


	13. Open Ocean Ordeal

**Author's Note:**

 **EDIT: ALSO I FORGOT TO SAY IT WHEN I PUBLISHED THIS 5 MINUTES AGO BUT: That Fire Emblem Direct was... man, it made my day. My week. My month. A gift I wasn't expecting but am glad to recieve. I have an Android, so it's less than 2 weeks till I get FE Heroes (if you look at my icon, I changed it to Heroes!Robin) . I'm also planning to get Echoes: Shadows of Valentia once I have the spare cash, and am ready to hear about Switch FE at any time. Warriors isn't really my preferred style of game, but I'm happy FE is getting the chance even if I don't play it. Still, 4 FE games at once? I couldn't be happier. Now on to the actual/relevant AN:**

 **I don't have much to say today. Thank you for the reviews, everyone. I appreciate constructive criticism, and try to fix my story whenever I see things pointed out. This is actually the first thing I've ever published so what you see mentioned in the reviews is all the criticism/guidance I've ever gotten. My writing isn't really up to my own standard, and there are at least 4 scenes in here I think need to be fixed but just can't figure out how to. I'll come back a year from now and fix it up, I'll bet, but until then you'll just have to read this version! I still need to go back to my first chapters and revise, since they make me cringe at points. I'll wait until my writing skills improve a little more to do that though. I said I had nothing to say, but it seems that wasn't true.**

 **Last thing: Oh my gosh. 300 followers, and in only 5 months. I never thought this story would get so big, and it still seems unreal. And with almost 200 favorites and over 130 reviews, I'm in awe of how great a response this has gotten. Thank you all so much for checking me out. It means so much, and I don't realy know how I can express it. In any way other than trying to write the best chapter I can for you next time. So, without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"Finally, some rest!" Robin shouted, throwing his hands up as he fell back into his bed.

He and the rest of Corrin's Army had boarded a ship for Cheve, and would be arriving within the next week. They had already been on the craft for a week, but it hadn't been relaxing in the slightest.

Though they did have members of the royal family with them, and royals tended to be rich, the group was actually pretty broke. Sure they had money for food and weapons and things, but the money to pay to sail almost twenty people and three mounts from Hoshido to Nohr, aka one country to its warring opposite, was a lot more than they had available. They were also trying to keep as low a profile as possible, even though that was impossible to do completely, so announcing Takumi and Sakura were members of the Hoshidan royal family that could pay the captain back later wouldn't work. Plus if the captain knew who they were, she might've refused to take them. Taking random Hoshidans to Nohr was one thing, but taking Hoshidan royals to Nohr was grounds for execution if the Nohrians found them out.

Accordingly, Robin and the others had been put to work over the last week to pay for the trip, scrubbing boards, helping in the kitchen, repairing the sailors' clothes, moving boxes, washing dishes, whatever the captain asked. Wanting everyone to be in top shape for any possible fighting in Cheve, Robin had asked the captain if they could just work extra the first week, and slack the second. She didn't think that that was equal trade for the voyage though (despite the fact Robin had still promised her pay for food, so all they were doing was taking up empty space anyway). So, the compromise was that they'd have to work the first week in full, could rest the eighth day, and would work the ninth through eleventh days. It was fair, and Robin accepted. He himself had been busy the entirety of the first day, so had to work for a few extra hours on day seven to make up for it. The work had him beat, and he was relieved to be able to go to bed.

Sitting up to remove his boots, Robin left on his coat and other clothes before going under the covers, snuggling in to preserve all the heat he could. It was cold out at sea, more so than the trip to Valm, and he was more of a hot weather guy. Maybe it was in his blood, since his parents were from Plegia, a desert country, after all. His father was at least.

Sleep was more important than ancestry though, so curling up into a fetal position under the blankets, Robin let his mind wander, relaxing and soon falling asleep.

* * *

Some hours later, Robin woke up to cold air filling the room, brushing against his uncovered face. As the only part of his body not under the thick blankets that cornered the bed, his face was already cold, but the air only made it worse. Shaking his head, Robin got up, groggy. He began to put on his boots, but after a few moments paused to go out on a second layer of socks over his first, and a long sleeve shirt under his regular shortsleeve. It was freezing in his insulated room, so who knew how cold it would be on deck.

But that brought up the question of just how long Robin had been asleep.

His grogginess had quickly faded, and once it did Robin realized he felt pretty good. His rest had been wonderful, and he must've slept for several hours at the least, likely into the double digits. Was that enough for the temperature to drop as it had? They were changing locations, so they could be sailed into a cold front or something, but the difference seemed a little extreme to Robin to be just that. Opening the door, he was blasted with a rush of icy air, and Robin ran back inside, finding a black scarf to tie over his face. Once he lowered his hood, Robin realized that all someone could see of his body was a small strip of skin from the top of his nose to his eyes, with the rest covered by boots, pants, gloves, scarf, coat, shirt, or glove. He was kind of pathetic being so bundled up, but he was cold and frostbite would not get him if he had any say in it.

Even Rinkah was feeling the effects of the freezing temperatures, evidently. As Robin walked through the halls to get onto the deck and ask the captain what was up, he saw Rinkah walking in the opposite direction, huddled under a blanket. She was muttering and shivering, clearly unhappy. Once he passed her Rinkah sent up a glance, continuing on before turning back around for a double take.

"I'm cold," Robin shot back at her, not stopping. The words were muffled by the scarf over his mouth, but Robin figured Rinkah would understand.

Because he really was, and there was no way he would delay his march to the captain to explain any more to the tribalist. Not that there was anything to really explain anyway.

At the top of the deck were the three riders, with Gunter, Reina, and Subaki all at their respective mounts. Azura was with Jakob and Corrin, Sakura speaking with Reina and Orochi having cornered Takumi once again. Hana was leaned over the side of the boat, looking down at the sparkling ocean in admiration. She'd probably never ridden in a large craft, and the ocean was truly something to admire.

A large groan when the boat gave a particularly large bob destroyed that assumption, though. It seemed Hana was just seasick. How Robin hadn't noticed the entire week was odd, but then again she and he hadn't been in the same place the entire time. They didn't even take meals together, since the ship's kitchen and mess hall weren't large enough to accommodate all of them and there were typically at least two meals held for every major one a day.

Now that he thought about it, Robin had seen Hana once after a meal. And she wasn't looking too great then either. The tactician hadn't really thought seasickness though. That day, the second day of their voyage, he had helped on kitchen duty. Well, there was a reason the Shepherds had banned him from the kitchen, and Corrin and the ship's captain quickly enforced the same ban once she saw the…. thing he cooked up for dinner. Some people had tried to eat it as not to waste the food, but it was such a gross slop of a stew that it could hardly be called such. The ship's head cook called it an offense to cooks everywhere.

Since Panne was the only one who ever liked his cooking, and Panne couldn't really eat most normal food, her acceptance of his carrot stew really shouldn't have been the indicator that his skills in the kitchen were finally good enough to feed other people.

The air temperature dropped rapidly, and Robin couldn't help but shiver even under his layers. He should have put on another pair of pants too…

That wasn't the main concern though as conversations dropped and noses were stuck in the air, people looking up and around to see what was going on. Half a minute later, the boat lurched, crashing into something solid. Hana, who was still leaning over the ship, was thrown overboard. Subaki and Reina both dropped their grooming supplies to mount their flyers, but a shout from Hana that she was fine stopped them. A shaky hand was visible on the side of the boat, with which Hana pulled herself back over, slumping into the ground.

"Hana! Are you okay?" Robin asked, running over to look over the girl.

She had tears in her eyes, and was still pale.

"It stopped… It finally stopped. The rocking's gone…" Hana cried, the tears falling down her face and rolling to the sides.

"What's going on!?" the ship's captain bellowed, anger and confusion showing. "I've traveled this route thousands of times, and nothing like this has ever happened. What did you people do? I knew transporting armed strangers was a bad idea."

"No no, it wasn't us, really! We're just as surprised as you are!" Corrin denied, clenching her fists.

Jakob had moved to look over the edge, his eyes wide. "The sea has been frozen."

The captain's nose flared, and she gave a large yell to her crew to examine the situation. They all confirmed what Jakob had said. Far away, waves could still be seen lapping, but there was no way that their ship was going to get anywhere anytime soon. Even their sister ship, loaded with supplies, slightly smaller, and traveling a little ways behind them was caught in the icy mass.

But the sudden freezing over of the ocean wasn't the only mystery bugging Robin - also stuck in the ice were two vessels Robin didn't recognize. One to the north, one to the south. They were larger than the one Robin and friends were on, and looked almost like war ships.

Scratch that, they didn't look almost like warships. They looked exactly like warships. That wasn't good.

By this time the rest of Corrin's Army had filtered onto the deck, and the ship's regular crew had begun to back away. From where he stood Robin could see two wyvern riders, both carrying two people flying toward them. He ordered the captain and her men to go belowdecks. Thankfully, they complied.

"Is that Lady Camilla?" Gunter asked, squinting.

"Ahaha, good eyes old man," the first of the riders laughed. Her laugh was really nice, Robin had to admit. She was pretty too. But from her looks and title, she was one of the Nohrian royals, so for the moment they had to fight. She didn't come in range of any melee weapons though, and while Robin could probably hit her with his thunder tome if he charged it, he decided to let her and her companions fly free where they were hovering.

"He isn't the important one though. How are you doing, Corrin? I've missed you so so much. Ever since you confronted Xander I've been worried sick. I thought you were hurt or sad or lost. I'm so glad to see that there's a smile on your face, my precious, adorable little sister."

"Camilla-"

The woman got straight to the point: "But, sadly, I can't say that anymore. From this moment on, you must throw away our relation and all that connects us. We have to fight, and familial love is nothing good to bring to a battle zone. Just remember that I have always loved you when I cut you down. I'm doing it for you, darling. Even as my axe pierces your body, know I do it because it's better than the alternative. You don't want to be brought back to Nohr. What father would do to you I don't even want to think about. I'm so sorry it's come to this, Corrin, but I can't back down."

"But Camilla, can't you see that what I'm doing is for the good of Nohr as well as everyone else? Let me just talk to Father, what I'm doing will benefit him-"

"No, Corrin. Father will not believe you. He doesn't believe any of us anymore. I hardly think he even understands what we're saying half the time now. And he's ordered you put to death. Put to death in a public execution, only after six months subjected to whatever Iago can come up with. Darling, I'm doing this for you. You can't win. And I love you. I hate that you've come to this, but it was destined to happen ever since you betrayed us and Nohr."

Camilla turned to the two women on the wyvern to her right, addressing the one riding in the back. She was dressed in a maid uniform and had two thin pigtails, plus a hard resolve.

"Flora, if you will."

The woman nodded and a blast of cool air rushed through the area, making everyone shiver.

"Flora? What are you doing here? I thought you were ordered to stay back at the fort?!" Corrin shouted, trying to raise her voice to cross the long distance between them despite the whipping winds.

"I was, but I've been given new orders. King Garon has ordered me and the other members of the Ice Tribe to eliminate you." Flora paused momentarily, probably to take in a deep breath. "Lady- no, just Corrin now. Corrin, I'm sorry about this. I have always put all of my effort into caring for you and making sure you had the best and most comfortable life possible. Now it is my job to make sure you have the best and most comfortable death possible. I agree with Lady Camilla; you don't want to go back to Nohr. So goodbye Corrin. I'm glad I got to spend all those years in your company. Now I will show you no mercy." The woman's expression wasn't visible from Robin's position, and he found himself disappointed. It would've been nice to get a better idea of how the maid was feeling.

Jakob was not going to let the woman's words pass, flinging an arm in front of Corrin and pushing his mistress back slightly.

"Flora, please! Reconsider this, do you really want to do this? To hurt Lady Corrin and to-" Jakob took in a breath. "Flora, tell me, why is it that you've decided to go through with this. You've never liked King Garon. I know you and the rest of the Ice Tribe would never willingly go through with something like this!"

"You know why, Jakob," Flora said softly, turning her head down.

"So the King really has gone insane then…" muttered the butler. He hit his lip and lowered his hand, turning to Corrin. "Milady, I'm afraid to say that the only way we can unfreeze this sea and progress to Cheve is to eliminate those in our way."

"What do you mean?" Azura asked, entering the conversation.

"King Garon has ordered the Ice Tribe to take out Corrin on threat of death, hasn't he? He's promised to murder you all if you don't obey…" Jakob said, addressing Flora.

"You understand my predicament then. Jakob, you are a proud Nohrian. I'm sure that if you give up now, I can bring you back to the Ice Tribe and that father will protect you. Please don't make me do this. It doesn't have to be like this, we can-"

"Flora! I know it doesn't. But I have pledged my life to two. And in the situation where I must choose… I have already gone this far with Lady Corrin, and she got my pledge first. I… I am very sorry, Flora, but I-" Jakob cut off, bringing a gloved hand to his mouth. "But I cannot go with you. I wish you the best of luck in helping the Ice Tribe. I pray that you, Felicia, and Kilma may stay safe in the days and weeks to come. Hold on until we get there. I promise that I will do everything within my power to help you. Just try to keep King Garon at bay until then. If you at least tried to stop Corrin, that should hopefully be at least a little to tide him over until the time comes."

Flora took a moment to consider Jakob's words, her voice shaky at her reply.

"Thank you, Jakob. I know that this is your duty, and hope we can reconvene one day. I'm so sorry, but I have no choice. If anything, I shall see you in heaven. Well, if I have not committed enough crimes to reach hell. Today may be the tipping point…"

The rider with Flora directed her wyvern back to the northern ship, Camilla and her passenger staying momentarily. Red hair flew around behind the beast's master, but Robin couldn't see a face and so didn't know who it was. He'd figure out soon enough though.

"My beautiful little Corrin… My heart goes out to you. I love you so much, and I want you to know that. I don't need it in return, and doubt you can even think to love me at this point, but know I will always think of you. You will always be my darling little sister. Now come and find me. I want to hear your last words. I will remember them forever, my sweet, sweet Corrin."

Camilla reared her mount and turned it around, following the first wyvern rider.

From the new angle Robin could see her companion was a pigtailed mercenary with just about the longest hair Robin had ever seen. If she had it down, it would probably reach her calves if not feet. Was that a mercenary tradition, or something? Long hair and pigtails? Because he'd seen it before, but knew pigtails weren't very common in people in their teens or older. That was a question for after the battle, though. For the moment, he had to prepare.

Hana was still pale, and probably hadn't eaten anything all day. She was in no condition to fight, so Robin ordered her below deck. She wasn't too happy about it, but complied after almost falling over when Oboro bumped into her.

All the Nohrian big shots appeared to be on the northern boat, but that didn't mean the southern one had nothing to worry about. There were plenty of wyvern riders flying above the ice, and if they wanted could transport their companions from the southern boat to Corrin's. The problem would be getting over to the other boats. Corrin's Army had all of two flyers, and trying to transport themselves one by one was suicide. They could just wait for the Nohrians to fly to them, but Robin doubted Camilla and her three personal companions would leave the north ship. She was smart enough to keep her advantage and let Corrin and co. come to her.

Azura provided a solution though, mentioning something that Robin hadn't heard of before.

"Corrin, I think I can feel a Dragon Vein under the ice. But I'm not sure quite where it is. We'll need to wait for the currents underneath the ice to slow so we can locate and activate it."

Corrin nodded, and started telling people to spread out across the ship, settling herself in the middle.

'What the heck is a Dragon Vein?' Robin though, confused. 'And what does she mean she can feel it? Is that a characteristic of people here? Wait, Corrin can transform into a dragon can't she? So maybe the Dragon Vein is something only she can activate. But if Azura could tell it was here when no one else could, does that mean Azura is a dragon too? Although I've never seen her transform. Or Takumi and Sakura, since they have the same parents and should be able to. And for that matter I've never actually seen Corrin transform either. She said she did in Mokushu but I wasn't watching, so I still don't know what she looks like. Darn.'

For the next ten minutes Corrin's Army waited on their craft, fighting the Nohrian troops who flew over. Robin placed everyone so they were at the edge of a flyer's apparent range, with a person wielding a ranged weapon behind them. Takumi was particularly spectacular for that, his bow taking down the wyvern riders pushing at them sometimes in one hit.

A few riders made their way onto the deck, but avoided damaging its contents in favor of going for the combatants on board. That was a huge relief to Robin, since getting attacked would require enough of an explanation and probably compensation, and he didn't want to think about how much it would cost to replace any goods that were damaged in the fight. He was relieved when Plegia hadn't asked for payment in return for the ships. Of course, they went to war soon after so there was that, but still. Although maybe they did ask for something in return after the war, when Robin was already gone. That was for another day though.

Other riders were shot from the sky, falling down onto the ice below. It was thick enough to stop a ship, so no riders fell into the freezing waters below, but the sound of impact was painful and Robin was glad to be standing on solid ground. The riders who fell mostly fell because of injuries sustained by their mounts, and Robin found himself worried for the creatures. Yes, the riders could get back onto their original ships by ladders thrown off the side, but the wyverns themselves were left unable to fly, and couldn't climb up the weak string that was too small for them to grip, even if they somehow understood how it was one would climb a ladder. The tactician had heard of some show wyverns that had been trained to do similar things, but these beasts were meant for war, not the circus. By the look of things, they would remain on the ice until the sea thawed, at which point they would sink down into the sea.

Staves, unlike the other weapons of Archaea, had limited uses. The Nohrians had few supplies in their country. From what Jakob said, trees of fine enough quality to make heal and mend staves were few and far between, and so Nohrians used them sparingly. Of all the wyvern-rider pairs on the ice, Robin only saw one that looked like they both had a chance to get back up. The rider had taken off his helmet and was applying a potion of some sort to his mount's wing.

Sometimes concoctions or elixirs could be physically applied to wounds and heal them if they were created properly, but Robin had no idea what kind of healing craft the potion was. The rider may have also given it one to drink. Robin was having trouble looking at the pair and fighting off oncoming flyers at the same time.

Azura spoke up again, alerting her companions to their chance of switching to the attacking force, rather than the defending.

"Corrin! The currents have slowed. I think you can use the Dragon Vein now," she shouted, fending off a mage who had arrived with one of the flyers that'd landed on their ship.

"Alright!" Corrin yelled back in affirmation, closing her eyes.

She stood still for around ten seconds, head turned down. Once those seconds had passed, she opened her eyes and ran to another part of the ship, thrusting out her arms before her, stance wide. She crossed her hands, her left wrist passing over her right, and closed her eyes once more, this time much more tightly. Her forehead wrinkled in either concentration or effort, possibly both, and she exhaled deeply. Soon the ground lit up a deep blue, turning cobalt as it swirled around her.

The blue energy, resembling a bright fire, shot into the air. Slamming down onto the ice between the Southern Nohrian boat and the Hoshidan travelers' second supply ship.

"W-wait, that was supposed to help us get to Camilla…" Corrin stuttered, mouth forming a small 'o' "But at least we didn't open the other boat to attack us?"

Robin frowned, correcting the girl in her completely positive assumption: "No, it isn't the 'at least' situation. From what Leo said and Jakob and Gunter have told me, Nohr is suffering for supplies. And here's a supply ship that just happened to pass their way, carrying their enemies. They'll probably take everything off of our ship and bring it to theirs, since they're in need. And from the way they acted when we got around the supplies, we, who have been only nice to them… I don't think they'll just hand everything they have in board over. Those things are their livelihood. The crewmembers on board might end up trading their lives for their cargo, and that isn't a fair trade. Especially since it's doubtful the Nohrians would just give up the stuff after getting so far. Even if they had to get rid of a few men in the process. They're Hoshidans, and the two countries are at war anyway. Do you see another Dragon Vein?"

Corrin shook her head, but the next voice Robin heard didn't belong to the princess.

"Actually we're from Senin!"

Robin shot a glare over where the hole leading to where the sailors were hiding was, and heard a quick thump of the cap closing. He was close enough, and they needed to stay safe.

Another plume of blue fiery energy erupted to Robin's left, drawing his attention. Standing at its source was Takumi. The prince had his eyes closed and a wide stance, but as opposed to Corrin's straight horizontal arms, his were crossed to the floor. He opened them and pointed to the bridge that had just erupted between him and the second supply boat.

"This is what you wanted, right?" he asked, confident in his actions.

Robin gave him an affirmation, and called for part of the group to join him. The rest would remain to guard the first boat. They still had flyers coming from Camilla's way to worry about, as well as flyers who abandoned the southern boat in favor of attacking the protection squad and main supply boat.

By the time they reached the edge of the supply boat connected to the Southern Nohrian ship, there was already a squad of Nohrians on board waiting for them. In accordance with what Robin had predicted, some men were removing crates from the supply ship to bring to their own. A large stack of them sat on the very corner of the Nohrian ship, and given its status as a warship, it was obvious they didn't belong. Robin would have to take those back somehow if he didn't want to get fined an extra sum.

But on the other hand, he knew that the Nohrians really needed the supplies held within. The contents of the crates were packs of clothes, blankets, and food that the shipowners were planning on decorating with small stones and dye pods obtained from Nohr, or flavoring with a spice exclusive to its coast. They would thus not be selling them on the west side of the Bottomless Canyon, but instead transporting it back to Hoshido where they could make better profit. The Nohrians who would want to buy the products were much too poor to afford them, after all.

Maybe Robin would take back a few, like the clothes crates, but leave those containing food and blankets. Why the shippers brought the items rather than just taking their modifiers and returning to Hoshido, Robin didn't know. It would have saved them a lot of space on deck for one thing, which meant they could've taken more back. The tactician wasn't going to advise them in that though, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The battle on the Southern ship went smoothly. Since it was covered with outlaws, fighters, and dark mages that still did not actually wield any dark magic, he'd brought along Corrin, Hayato, Orochi, and Hinata for the weapon advantages (or at least equality for the mages). He'd also brought Azura to get some practice with her naginata and more battle experience in, and so she could sing had he the need for it. Jakob backed them up with his staff.

After the uneventful victory, Robin tasked Hinata, Orochi, and Jakob with moving some of the boxes back to the supply ship. Jakob would come back after they were halfway done, and the other two would stay to make sure no one got back up until the Northern ship was also taken.

By the time Robin had crossed back onto the ship he and his companions had been originally riding on, only Saizo, Gunter, Reina, and a still sick but determined Hana remained. Not many flyers came to attack the vessel, but they had chosen to stay behind in case a third Nohrian ship appeared or there were unexpected reinforcements. Robin approved, so he left them alone and crossed the ice bridge either Takumi or Sakura must have created.

The Northern ship was enormous, dwarfing the supply ship and even making the other Nohrian ship seem small. The wind was blowing fiercely toward them though, and so Robin caught part of a conversation from somewhere off at the other end of the ship.

"Selena! Go belowdecks, now!"

"But Lady Camilla, I can still-"

"Go! You're injured, and need to see a healer now. That wound is going to take more than a heal staff and a vulnerary. Please, I'm already losing my darling little sister… I don't want to lose my precious retainer either."

The conversation ended there, and Robin could only assume that 'Selena' followed Camilla's orders. The retainer's voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't put a name to it.

That wasn't his main concern though, as it was a positive given he'd have one less enemy. The main problem he faced was that the Northern boat was dominated by berserkers and sorcerers, not to mention the odd wyvern rider or Camilla plus her two remaining companions.

His army was still severely lacking in troops with good resistance, so the sorcerers would pose a problem. Add in the proximity of the berserkers, and things were more complicated. Those that did have good resistance had poor defense for the most part. His best bets would be himself, Kaze, Jakob, and…. Hayato. The boy was surprisingly resilient for his scrawny appearance, and could take more hits than quite a few of his older companions.

Subaki was already engaged in drop attacks on the sorcerers, dodging berserker attacks for the most part and pushing past damage dealt they dealt. The sorcerers' magic didn't hurt him greatly, so the sky knight only had to take the occasional break to fly back to his liege for healing.

Takumi was also taking out the flyers that neared him, bow glowing brilliantly as he shot off arrow after arrow. The prince was breathing too heavily for Robin's liking though, so he ran up to the younger man and pushed him aside, casting a thunder spell toward the next enemy.

"What are you-!?" Takumi shouted in annoyance, finally dropping his arm and letting the blue energy of his bow fizzle out.

"Take a break, Takumi. There's no point in working yourself so hard when others can help you. Not to say what you've done is useless though, because judging by the wounds most of the downed have, your hit count is the highest of anyone here. But I could hear how hard you were breathing from all the way over to the bridge, and you're sweating as if we're in a desert, not an icy wasteland. Pop a vulnerary if you need to. Just wait a moment before continuing, okay?" With a small smile, Robin continued forward, leaving a dumbstruck Takumi behind him. Oboro ran over a moment later, fussing over her liege as he stared at the tactician quickly moving away.

One by one the Nohrians were taken out, until only six remained. At the head of the ship were Camilla and her blue haired companion, accompanied by a male mercenary - evidently not Selena, meaning Camilla would be forced to fight with someone she was lest accustomed to teaming with, if Robin had read the familiarity expressed by the two correctly. A considerable distance away, past a few railings and large crates were Flora and two sorcerers, the three visibly uncomfortable.

There was hardly any space between Camilla's trio and the surrounding walls and such, so attacking them would be a challenge. They didn't move however, waiting to be attacked. Robin took the chance to attack Flora and her strangely disturbed pair.

With him stood Kaze, Jakob, Hayato, and Kagero. Flora ignored Robin completely, brow furrowing as she set her eyes on Jakob.

"Has it really come to this? Is there no way for this to be resolved?" she asked, voice quiet. The maid scoffed, more an exhale than anything. "I suppose it has. I'm sorry Jakob. I don't hold it against you though, and I hope that when this is all over, you don't hate me. I can wish for that much, at least. "

The sorcerers released their attacks, the Fimbulvetr tomes materializing ice across the deck. Kaze and Hayato took the attacks head on, Hayato stumbling for a moment while Kaze immediately retaliated with a shuriken.

Kagero had dodged, and threw her own shuriken at the mage nearest her. Robin got hit by a few icicles, but shrugged it off and charged toward the left sorcerer while Hayato recovered to cast at the right.

Jakob stood in the center, unharmed. He had not been their target.

The fact frustrated him, and so the butler pulled out his daggers and threw them, one from each hand aimed at the two men to Flora's sides. She had not been his target.

With a short minute the three before Robin were down, the sorcerers unconscious and Flora slumped against the railing, but still awake. She had been hit by two shuriken at her front, one from Kaze, one from Kagero. A few seconds after she had jerked strangely and fallen. Odd, given the shuriken had surely hurt her, but hadn't done anything so severe as to explain for her fading consciousness and abrupt fall.

Jakob knelt down to her and whispered something to the maid. She smiled back weakly, but Jakob's head was downturned, and he couldn't see it.

They her eyes fluttered closed, and she slid to the side, Jakob catching her before her head could hit the deck. At her back were two large icicles, embedded in her dress and skin at odd angles. They weren't dealt by the sorcerer pair, so Robin could only assume she had made them herself. She seemed depressed and regretful since their encounter had begun, and so suicide wasn't surprising. Or rather, it was something Robin had not anticipated her doing beforehand, but he could understand why. She'd failed her tribe, and failed Nohr. Going home would likely end in severe punishment or death, so she'd decided to end her life before having to endure the shameful journey home. It wasn't something Robin liked, but he couldn't do anything about it and left her be.

Jakob was extremely alarmed by the sight though, eyes wide as he looked at the red darkening the small white skirt below the black fabric the icicles had pierced. He almost dropped his fellow servant as he fumbled with his staff to direct it toward the maid, quickly casting a mend on Flora. He was clenching his teeth and shaking slightly.

Hayato's questioned Jakob about his actions, and the butler turned his head back down. "...Lady Corrin ordered us to spare as many lives as possible, right? That… that is what I am doing. If I don't heal this woman, she will die. As a butler it is pertinent that I follow orders to the highest degree possible. Now leave."

His four allies did despite their worries, and went over to where their other comrades were fighting Camilla and her two companions.

The mercenary was already out, and as Robin neared them he could see blood running down the blue haired woman's wyvern and side. The woman then ordered her mount to rise, flying about ten feet into the air before a bright blue arrow pierced her wyvern's wing. The speed at which the arrow flew drove it through not just one wing, but both. The beast screamed as it struggled to stay up, a second arrow again piercing both wings and causing the beast to plunge toward the deck. It landed on top of its rider, but got up and tried to waddle away with its two legs and tattered wings. The wounds would prevent it from flying, but it would not die in all likelihood. It tried to bite at Takumi after seeing the weapon in his hands, but Rinkah ran up and clubbed it, knocking the poor creature out. It joined its rider, who was knocked out when her head hit the deck and several hundred pounds of wyvern hit her. She would be sore for days, even with a few heals and potions.

While that went on, Corrin got the last blow onto Camilla, the Nohrian princess dropping her large weapon in surrender. Or perhaps because she didn't have the strength to lift it anymore. Robin wasn't sure.

"H-hah… Father… Corrin… I'm so s-sorry…"

Camilla, blood dripping from her forehead and chest, slid down, catching on the side of her mount before she could fall off. She had a dazed look to her eyes. Clearly the woman had lost a lot of blood.

She was determined if anything, and hadn't stopped fighting until she had nothing left to fight with; no energy, no strength, no will. Her arms had tired after constant swinging and maneuvering of the great beast she rode upon, the blood quickly leaving her body had torn away the power she had to stay awake and fight, and the sight of her younger sister whom she cared so deeply for attempting to defeat her with all the might she possessed had weakened the rider's mind.

Still, she fought to the end, and Robin doubted even he could go for as long as she had.

She was certainly a terrifying force to be reckoned with.

"Sakura!" Corrin shouted, swinging around to find her younger sister.

The Hoshidan princess ran toward her sister, immediately healing Camilla with a worried look to her face.

A small laugh sounded. Camilla was still awake.

"What are you d-doing, Hoshidan princess…? We're at war. You should be k-killing me. Not healing me. We're… enemies."

Corrin made a noise of outrage. "What are you talking about, Camilla? We're sisters, and friends! I'm not going to let you die!"

"Corrin my dear… I wasn't t-talking to you. I was talking to the girl over there. B-but really, you have all the more reason to end me. You betrayed us… Now please, if you really love me so much… Kill me. End my l-life right here." Camilla had a pained smile, and choked slightly.

"I won't do it Camilla! I didn't want to betray you, and I'm not going to hurt you any more than I already have! Now just sit tight and let Sakura heal you. Please!"

The scene that played out over and over when royals were involved came again, and Robin couldn't help but sigh. With the others there was at least some ambiguity in why they wouldn't join. But in this case the reason was obvious.

"Corrin, stop and think a moment. Do you really think Camilla living would be the best for her?" Robin asked, serious. "If she were to go back to Nohr after this loss, the consequences would be terrible. Not only did she fail to kill or capture you, but she let you go free. And she allowed herself to be healed by the enemy in an act of mercy and kindness. That would be a disgrace to the Nohrian name, excluding every other thing that happened.

"And based off everything I've been told of Garon, I doubt she'd be let off free after returning home. At best she'd be stripped of her title and thrown into the streets. At worst she'd be put under what Garon has planned for you: lengthy torture followed by a public execution. But what's most likely is that she'll get swiftly killed. She'll arrive home, told of her failures, and killed before she can get a chance to defend herself. That's no way to die - especially if Garon then gets the chance to bring in Xander, Leo, and Elise to watch. Killing their sister would be a great way to convince them not to go against him. Because they know if they rebel, they'll die. At least if she dies here then they'll be able to think of her as lost in battle, but might still grow to oppose Garon. Scaring or scarring them like the first way is much worse for us than the second."

Camilla let out a humorless laugh. She knew it was the truth, and Robin knew it was the truth, and so did Corrin. But the latter princess didn't want to accept it. She was idealistic to a fault.

"...Then don't go back," Corrin whispered.

"Huh?" Camilla and Robin voiced simultaneously, staring at the girl.

"If going back to Garon will get you killed, then don't go back to him! Come with us instead. You and everyone else you have with you can join us, no restrictions needed. That way you don't have to die, and that way you can help bring an end to this war that's hurting me and all your other siblings.

"To the victor goes the spoils right? Well I'm the victor, and you're the spoils. I'm not just going to throw my spoils away. It's my decision to make, and I've decided I don't want you to die. So please, please join us. I won't force you Camilla, but I'm begging you to at least consider it."

Camilla sighed, slipping off her wyvern a little more. Sakura had stopped healing her when she asked, and the woman wasn't doing well. Subaki, standing next to her, caught the woman and pushed her back up so that she was laying over the beast's neck. She said a small "thank you" and turned back to Corrin.

"I suppose you're right... about that; I lost, you won, and it's up to you w-what to do with me. But if I joined you, how would I- be helping Xander and Leo and Elise? How would I be h-helping Nohr? Your group is full of Hoshidans... the only Nohrians... being those who personally served you and swore an oath to follow. I l-love you Corrin. B-but I love my family too and I can't-" Camilla coughed.

"Camilla!" Corrin shouted, gasping and turning to Sakura. The girl lifted her rod back up to start healing Camilla, Robin picking up for Corrin where she was lacking explanation.

"Our goal isn't to fight Nohr, Camilla. There's someone out there fueled by hatred and spite, aching to destroy everything in their path. They're no longer sane, and reasoning just isn't possible. Their homeland has already been laid to waste, but they're not satisfied. Loathing has been brewing within them for a long time, a loathing directed at humans regardless of their nationality. All they wish is to end it all; to get revenge at those that hurt them so long ago in the deepest way possible.

"They don't have the power to do it themself, however. They can't get out and bring everything to ruin as they are and as this region is. Nohr and Hoshido, not even considering the other countries and principalities, are much too powerful. So, they must be weakened before the destroyer can come in. And what's the best way to weaken them? To set them against each other. Not only will Hoshido and Nohr kill off the other's military, but they'll lay waste to the countryside and surrounding nations in the process, their great sizes trumping over anyone who attempts to oppose them sans the other.

"If this war were just between Nohr and Hoshido, then regardless of who won or lost, both would survive somehow. Total decimation isn't the goal after all, so they would eventually recover. Well, at least they would if Garon was a little saner. I'm not so sure at this point, but I'll be optimistic and say things could be fixed. If this character comes through, then they won't be so nice. Their goal is decimation, without regards to survivors. Garon wants to rule over the land, presumably with some people there. The one hiding in the shadows wants to get rid of everything. They don't want any people to rule over, and they could care less about the land that is left without a lord after they're done. Even the Hoshidans seem more concerned with ending the war and maybe getting a little bit of revenge in the process. They don't want to completely obliterate Nohr.

"What I'm saying is this: You go back to Nohr, and either you die and do nothing, or you survive and contribute to prolonging a war that's only serving to bring on the destruction of your country. You come with us, and you help not only end this war, but get rid of the one who's really looking to destroy Nohr and everything it stands for.

"So, what do you say?"

Robin's at this point characteristic two minute explanation came to a close, and once again all eyes were on him.

He really hoped that no one decided to ask him where he got his information from. Back when he, Azura, Jakob, and Corrin had fallen into the Bottomless Canyon and ended up in - that place (was thinking about the name a way to activate the curse? No, he'd thought of Valla before. The name just had to stay in his head) he and Azura had been left practically alone for a while while Jakob and Corrin were unconscious. During that time Robin had squeezed a little bit of information on the character out of Azura, and he managed to once again after Izumo. She didn't want to say too much and didn't know too much either, so most of what Robin had said was based off the decimation he saw in Valla, and ways to convince Camilla to join whether or not they were absolute truth.

Given how often he went on little rants like that, was it really all that surprising he'd gone on another one? It was the most efficient way to get things done around here. Especially when Corrin kept pausing to give the dying woman who kept pausing and stuttering time to speak. Yes, last words and politeness were nice and all, but they really didn't have the time for that, and there were better ways of getting her point across. As evidenced by the consideration Camilla gave the idea.

"...You say that if I join you… you'll take in every- one with me. How?"

Corrin blinked. She started on her response, but Kaze cut her off.

"She has a point. We don't have the resources nor the management to take everyone with us, especially given their fighting caliber. Based upon how easily we beat them with such a smaller force… Taking them with us might slow us, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm sorry Lady Camilla, Lady Corrin, but I don't see how it could work."

"That's where I come in!" Robin shouted. "You see, the way we'll take everyone in is to take you and your retainers with us, and send everyone else to people who owe us favors!"

"What?" Camilla said, taken aback.

"Well you have about 40 troops, right? Give or take a few. We happen to have quite a few favors racked up. As long as your men are willing, we can send them off to places where they won't have to worry about getting executed."

'Theoretically, at least. In reality. Uh. I'm trying to be more optimistic. Things can work out for once Robin. The whole world doesn't exist just to spite you. Hopefully.'

"Anyway, since there are 40 of you not including those we'll take with us, and we have 3 places to send others off to… Right now there are three favors we have. First is with Yukimura, who's pretty much in control of all Hoshido since Ryoma is off running about fighting in Cheve. We fought him back in Fort Jinya and spared his life. At that time, we were more Nohrian than Hoshidan. If we disarm all of your men and send them to him, he might take them in. It would of course be complicated, but… We also have Sakura and Takumi with us. That'll help convince him."

"What if my men don't agree?"

"We'll give them the option. I'll say that all those who wish to return to Nohr may, and that if they do then I wish them a swift and painless death. I'll also do my best to calm those who end up getting sent to our favor places, since they're all on the East side of the Bottomless Canyon which your troops may not be too happy about. But anyway, if I can manage to disarm your men, and judge them worthy of going and unlikely to retaliate once there, then we have three places to put them: With Yukimura, who will hopefully convince anyone with worries in Hoshido that doing so is one of the fastest ways to end the war or something; In Izumo, since we technically saved them from attack even if it was from Nohrians who were attacking since they wanted to get at us; and Mokushu since they attacked Hoshidan royalty and owe us for not doing anything in return.

"Yukimura I'll explain more later, but he should be fine. Izumo might not be too happy about it given their attackers were Nohrians, led by a dark mage of all things, but all we have to do is point out that they're a neutral territory and thus discriminating against Nohrians would mean they're no longer neutral. That and cash in on the fact that Izana likes me and Corrin, and that we're involved in some sort of destiny or whatever. If he doesn't help us, he may be hurting destiny's path to fruition, and the prophecy that will lead to goodness in the world. Plus he's such a weird guy I think he'd have fun with hiding away Nohrians. That wouldn't necessarily be ending neutrality either, because all he'd be doing is housing people looking to escape war. He could do the same with any Hoshidans, so it wouldn't matter.

"Then Mokushu. I really hope we don't have to send anyone there, but like I said they owe us. We could've honestly done a lot more than we did do there. Like killing more troops than just Kotaro and that one other guy Saizo took out. And that one person who snuck up on Reina but I consider it a personal victory that she only got one guy. Or claiming they broke their alliance and reporting to Yukimura or something. Stuff like that. You get it?"

Camilla had a thoughtful look on her face, and nodded after a few seconds. "If you can convince them, then feel free. I… Thank you."

Corrin gave the woman a hug, and people started to walk back to the ships they'd come from. They paused, however, when their path was blocked by four figures. Two were sorcerers, one was a maid, and the fourth… a butler.

"Jakob? What's-" Corrin started to ask her servant a question, but was cut off by Flora. The woman didn't look great, but she was awake and healed, better thanks to Jakob's work on her.

"Lady Corrin, Lady Camilla, Sir Robin, I am thankful for your offers, but I cannot accept. We of the Ice Tribe cannot afford to go to Hoshido and run away. King Garon will kill the rest of our people if we cannot warn them in time. I cannot abandon them when they're in such danger. We'll figure out some way to escape Garon's wrath. Somehow. Before we left I warned them of possible attacks, so they should be ready to act once I get back. I'm counting on you to end this war, Corrin, so that my tribe may live freely once more," Flora explained, a calm look on her face.

The calm dropped into regret as she looked over to Jakob at her side, standing a full head taller than the maid. She had to turn and tilt her head quite a ways back to look into his eyes, and Robin couldn't help but find the scene endearing. Sad, but sweet.

Corrin seemed more shocked than anything, though.

"W-wait, you're leaving? And Jakob, you too? I… If you really want to then feel free. I just- sorry. I just thought that-"

"Lady Corrin," Jakob said, looking down at Flora and back to his mistress, stepping toward the shocked princess, "I made an oath to you many years ago. I promised I would not leave your side as long as you drew breath, unless you commanded me to. And even then I might stay, in case I felt your judgement was impaired. Such is the case now. I will not be leaving you today. My hand will be yours until the end of this war, I hereby swear."

The butler took a full bow, staying down for a few seconds. When Corrin spoke, he rose to look her in the eyes.

"But Jakob, what about the Ice Tribe? Don't you and Flora have to go back and protect everyone? They're your family!"

"My family, hm? They would have been, but now…" he glanced back at Flora, "I think I have done something unforgivable. I mean what I said, Corrin. And I'm sure Flora alone will do much more than she could with me dragging her down. I don't know the people there well at all, and ice is not my specialty. I'd hinder them, if anything."

Flora shook her head. "Not unforgivable. I was the one who did something unforgivable. Trust me, you've been forgiven. If you haven't changed your mind because of what I've done, then I hope our plan still stands. I'm sure Father and Felicia would be happy. Or, Felicia at least. Father would probably happy if I left. Felicia's always been his favorite anyway."

"That isn't true, Flora! You have your own strengths, and I'm sure Kilma just wants to see you safe and sound. And trust me, there's nothing that could change my mind about our plans, and there's nothing unforgivable that you've done in any way, shape, or form. The date may have to change at this point, but it will happen one way or another. That I swear, Flora," Jakob announced. He went forward to grab the maid's hands, shaking them slightly.

At the motion Flora teared up, pulling her hands away from Jakob's fingers momentarily to wrap her arms around his torso. They hugged for a few seconds, Flora whispering something up into Jakob's ear, and Jakob whispering something back, before he pulled away.

The maid looked back to Camilla. "Milady, may I take the smaller vessel along with the members of the Ice Tribe her with us to return to Nohr? I'll leave this one for transport of the troops going to Hoshido."

Camilla smiled, "Of course, my dear."

Giving a small bow, Flora smiled back. "Thank you, Milady. I'll order my men to unfreeze the sea once everyone is aboard the proper ship. May we meet again, somewhere safe, happy, and peaceful."

As Flora walked to the bridge connecting the Northern ship to the one Robin and co had sailed on, Corrin ran up to the maid, grabbing her arm and turning her around. Flora opened her mouth, Corrin staring her down with a determined expression.

"Flora, I promise that I'll do the best I can to end this war as quickly as possible! That way you and your people won't have to live in fear any longer than the absolute minimum!" Corrin took a step back, raising the Yato to the sky. "I swear, by the power given to me by the Yato and the prophecy Izana gave, the Ice Tribe won't suffer any more once I have my way!"

The sunset, uninterrupted by buildings or mountains or any other large objects that were present when one was anywhere but the ocean or a gigantic desert, shone bright onto her blade, the light glinting across the air. Flora's eyes widened.

"That- that's the legendary blade," she breathed, in awe of the sight before her. The two sorcerers at her side looked equally amazed, gasping and looking to each other and back to Corrin.

"Huh?" Corrin asked, lowering the Yato.

"Your sword. The Yato, it looks just like the one described in the ancient ice tribe legends; the one wielded by the chosen hero destined to save the world."

Those around Corrin started to talk, a low murmer sounding in the air. Corrin herself gave a slightly nervous laugh.

"Chosen hero destined to save the world? Isn't that a little over the top, Flora?" the princess questioned.

"Not at all!" one of the sorcerers exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air, "The Ice Tribe has passed down stories of a blade such as yours that will be our key to salvation. We put our trust in you, Hero Corrin."

Corrin looked confused, but she smiled anyway. "O-oh. Well, uh, thanks. I'll do my best!"

Flora have a small curtsy. "Well then, Milady, we'd best be off. I hope to see you sometime soon."

"I hope to see you-" Corrin cut herself off, eyes widening. "Wait a minute… Flora, in these legends, are there any mentions of dragons in the story of the Yato? When we were in Izumo, the archduke mentioned one in a message for us. If my sword has a destiny, then it would make sense the dragons would have one too."

The two sorcerers and Flora looked at each other, frowning. They whispered to each other for a second, voices loud enough that Robin could catch on to their mentions of what legends were legends and what legends were just children's stories conjured out of the blue for entertainment. They decided after a few moments that there was nothing of value concerning dragons though, and Flora sent one of the sorcerers away. She then addressed the group with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Lady Corrin, but there's nothing in the Ice Tribe legends to do with dragons. Dragons left the realm of men so long ago that any useful information has been lost or corrupted. Even we don't have anything of value on them anymore."

Corrin accepted Flora's explanation, and the maid curtsied once more. Robin felt a little more digging was necessary though.

"Flora," he said, stopping the woman, "you say there's nothing of value, but is there anything at all? A single name, or date, or location, or power? Or even a random fact, like 'dragons enjoy eating daisies more than sunflowers.'"

"Anything? Well… I'm not sure if it's correct-" she began.

Robin cut her off before she could waste time with excuses or apologies. "Doesn't matter. Anything's good."

A nod from Flora (as well as a small glare) marked the continuance of her statement. "But there is one name. We don't necessarily know if it was a dragon or not, just that it was a 'great being,' but the Ice Tribe legends, typically to do with creation or the divisions in the world, mention the word 'Hydra.' It sounds like a name, and appears in more than a single tale, but there's no real mention of a dragon. Just a name. Given the reverence the old peoples of this world gave dragons, 'Hydra' being one is more likely than others, but that's only an assumption. It could be a word in some lost language, or the name of an old dish. It's all I have though. Is that of any help?"

Robin tapped his chin. The name was familiar.

Corrin and the others had no visible reaction though.

"I can't think of anything at the moment, but I'm sure it will lead us to something. Thank you, Flora," Corrin answered, smiling brightly.

Flora lit up slightly, a sweet smile gracing her own face. "Then I truly will be off. Goodbye."

The woman gave one last guilty smile to everyone, and turned away. As she walked up to the edge of the boat nearest the bridge, Jakob ran toward her and threw his arms out around her sides, leaning down to whisper something in her ear. Flora's fists clenched at whatever he said, though she still faced forward, away from him. With tears in her eyes she turned to face the butler, pulling down his face to giver her fellow servant a kiss on the cheek. When she left once more to join the rest of the members of the ice tribe, Jakob let her go. He stood at the bridge until she was out of sight, sighing and moving back to Corrin's side with a blank expression on his face. After a few seconds he mimicked Flora's actions, fist clenching and tears building in his light eyes. It seemed the relationship between the two servants was more than just one established for work. It was both sweet and sad. Because if either he or Flora failed, then they would never be reunited, except on the battlefield, back at each other's throats. So was the way of war.

Robin had half a mind to call Flora back again, just to annoy her since she'd already been interrupted in her escape attempts several times, but left her alone. He didn't have anything to ask her, and doubted Corrin or Jakob would be happy if he bothered the maid any more.

"Lady Camilla!" someone shouted, the slamming of feet on the deck signaling an approaching person. Camilla raised her eyebrows at the yell, smiling when the voice's owner made her appearance. "Are you okay? I heard the noise stop so-"

The newcomer paused, looking at the sorry state Camilla was in and how greatly outnumbered her team was.

"Selena, as you know the girl at my side is my precious younger sister, Corrin. I have lost, so we will be joining her in her mission. I… I think it's for the best anyway," Camilla stated, quiet from the pain she must have been in.

Robin, however, was not quite at all.

"Se-se-se-se-" he stuttered, mouth opened and eyes wide.

The red haired mercenary turned to Robin, her jaw dropping as well.

"You?!" She screamed, pure horror on her face.

"Wait, I thought your hair was b-" Robin was equally surprised, not believing who it was before him.

The new woman, who had been scanning his outfit and weapons paused at his face and froze, horror melting into terror and shaking disbelief. "You're coming with me!"

The mercenary, who just had to be Severa even if she was sporting her mother's hair color rather than her father's (which he was sure baby Severa and even time traveling Severa had) grabbed into Robin's arm and yanked him toward the stairs that would bring them belowdecks, Robin tripping over his own feet as they neared the place. Probably-Severa stopped suddenly though, and Robin slammed into her, almost knocking the woman (because she was a woman now, even if she had been only a teenager when they last saw each other. They had to be at least the same age at this point. She could be older than him, even) over.

"Lady Camilla, are we taking our craft or theirs?" she asked calmly, face frozen.

"Oh, theirs, but dea-"

"Thank you. I'll be right back," interrupted Severa, who was wearing a sinister smile.

"W-wait, what's-" Robin cried, getting spun in the opposite direction as Severa dragged him to the ship he had come from. When they got their, she had Robin direct him to his room. He did, and once the door was unlocked she pushed him into the bed, ripping his scarf down in the process. It wasn't until she drew her sword and pointed it at his throat that he realized he'd given his only sword to Hinata after the samurai's katana had been knocked overboard in the fighting, and that he'd left his only tome outside after placing it on a nearby table to unlock his door. He was unarmed. Hand to hand combat wouldn't protect him from steel.

"Severa, I-"

"Don't you dare call me that, you bastard! You murdered them… You murdered them, and now you almost killed Lady Camilla!" She sneered, fury evident.

Robin looked on in confusion. "What? No, I wasn't going to kill her, and I have no idea who else I supposedly killed. I mean yeah there were some casualties in the wars back in Arit, but-"

"Stop pretending to be him!" Severa screamed, tears welling in her eyes, "I know it's you!"

'She knows it's me? What does-

'Grima. She thinks I'm Grima.'

Robin shook his head, the movement prompting Severa to push her sword forward until Robin could feel the steel at his throat and a small line of blood running down toward his shirt.

"Look, Severa, I know he's done a lot to you, and that we look similar, but I'm not Grima. It's me, your uncle Robin! Remember me?" A nervous smile made its way to Robin's face. It didn't seem to bring Severa any comfort though. Her frown only deepened, and her eyes narrowed.

"Yes. You're right. You and Robin do look similar. But there's always been a difference. Uncle Robin's eyes are brown. Yours are red."

Robin's head shot to his left, the sword cutting into his neck as he did so. In his reflection on the outside window, sure enough, red eyes were staring back at him.

'What? Since when…'

"Goodbye, Grima. This is for everyone you've killed. We finally got them graves, you know. And flowers… The world you tried so hard to ruin isn't going to die. One day it'll flourish again, I swear." Severa scoffed. "I don't know how you made it through after we killed you, but you won't be surviving today. Rot in hell."

Severa drew her sword back.

In the brief moment Robin could see the blade, a reflection of red eyes made themselves clear.

Then, she swung forward with all her might.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I really wasn't sure how I wanted to write the scene where Robin and Severa/Selena met. I spend way too much time daydreaming every day, and one of the scenarios I like thinking up is how Robin and _Laslow_ would meet, that meeting being the first time Robin saw one of the Awakening kids in Fates. He and Selena are very different though, so what I thought up didn't transfer. Also, thanks to some reviews, I'll try to cut down on details in terms of actions. It seems I go over the top, which I can see, so I'll cut down on the excess. Unless you guys like them? My plan is to cut down after this chapter, so you have some time still if you'd rather I not. **

**Second thing - I'm stuck on the next chapter. You see, I wrote about 2,000 words (and am still adding more) of something that is so headcanon based that I'm worried you guys won't be interested. It also involves some lore that you may not be familiar with (involves stuff in FE1+ remakes and such). I explain it all - that is, all I think is necessary to understand because some of it has to mysterious - but since it's a combination of lore and headcanon, I'm worried it might make some of the older FE fans annoyed. I really don't want to throw it all out, since 2,000 words is a lot, and those specific headcanons are something I absolutely love, so I really don't know what to do. To understand it for this story you don't need to know about any games other than Fates and Awakening, so don't worry about that at least. So for now that chapter's sitting unfinished. If you have the time, could you please leave a review on what you think I should do? Leave in the headcanon/lore mix with explanation (that I think really reveals and explains a certain character's motivation/personality), or take it out entirely and... replace the scene. Sort of. The premise itself is essential, I feel, but I suppose I could write it in a different way. I don't really want to, but again I don't want to throw you all off/offend/bore you. This note is way to long, so that'll be all.**

 **Thanks for everything, and I hope you have a nice day.**

 **Originally posted January 22, 2017 ~11,300 words without ANs**

 **Eruran out.**


	14. Red

**Author's Note: Get ready for lore and headcanon heaven guys, because there's a lot of it. I think I explain it a lot. As I always say, thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows. We're at 164, 256, and 371 respectively now, and I couldn't be happier. It still surprises me so many people have the same interests I do, to the specificity seen in this story. We'll see if that holds after this chapter though, since this involves a lot more of my personal interests and thoughts than past chapters. Last thing, when will the special edition of FE Echoes: Shadows of Valentia get announced for North America!? I need it, and I don't speak Japanese nor do I have the money, so I can't import. Eh, NoA isn't the greatest, so I doubt we're ever going to get one. I'm going to hold out on preordering for a little while longer though, just in case we do get a Sp. Ed. Getting back to the games relevant here, without futher ado, enjoy.**

 **EDIT: I wrote this chapter before Shadows of Valentia was released in my language and that information was available. So that's why some things that happen here are in direct opposition of that. I didn't have the canon available at the time. I was trying to fill in a hole that got filled in after this was written and posted, and didn't know that the hole would be filled in a very different way than I had imagined.**

* * *

The ship lurched forward as Severa aimed at Robin, throwing the two of them off balance. As a result, Robin's neck which had been in front of the pigtailed woman was thrown back with the rest of his body flat onto the bed. He fell under Severa's blade then, as the woman was launched forward on top of him, losing her grip on her sword as she put her hands down to stop herself from falling face first onto Robin and the edge of her sword. When its owner had fallen, it had been thrust into the edge of the wall. Its blade was long enough to cover the distance of the side of the bed, which was up against the wall, and so Severa at the other edge had to prevent herself from landing on top of it.

"What the?!" Severa shouted, pushing herself up and looking around.

From where Robin was, he could glance up at the window he'd seen his reflection in. His view included one of the Nohrian warships, which was now free of ice crystals. Flora and her companions must have unfrozen the sea. They saved his life, it seemed.

He looked back to Severa, who had picked up her sword and gone to open the door. Robin didn't try to get up just yet though. He didn't want to move in a room with someone ready to kill him if he was unarmed. But lucky enough for him, the boat lurched once more, again down toward he was.

The tome he'd set on a table outside had been knocked off by the first lurch. The second slid it toward him.

Using his feet, he clamped his ankles around the cover, lifting his knees until the book was close enough for him to reach. He slid it under the messy covers before Severa turned back to him.

"Damn you-"

"Severa, please. You're mistaken. Think, why would I come with Corrin and pretend to be Robin if I was truly Grima? Even back in Arit-"

'No, Ylisse. Or Plegia. Severa doesn't know what Arit is, only I do. If I start calling places weird names she'll doubt my stories even more.'

"Even back in Ylisse, Grima stayed away. He didn't pretend to be me. The closest thing he did to taking my place was showing up to the meeting in Plegia before the Valm war, and then all he did was show we looked similar. And maybe said his name was Robin, but he didn't pretend to be me. Just said that we had the same name. Nothing more."

"So?"

"So, what I'm saying is why would Grima pretend to be Robin right now? As in not just a man named Robin, but your uncle Robin, Chrom's best friend and the grandmaster tactician of Ylisse? Why would Grima stand at Corrin's side? Why would he pretend to be goody-goody with everyone? If he truly wanted, he could have offed me, could have offed the real Robin back in the first war for Ylisse, and replaced me. We look the same, no one would notice. And that Grima was just future me. He would've known what the Shepherds acted like; what their favorite foods were and how much sleep they got a night; whom they had a crush on, who liked to surprise me in the morning with a sunrise hike or a nervous question. He knew what they acted like, and could have imitated me to a T.

"But he just didn't care for the people. Grima, or future me or whatever you want to call him, didn't like people. He hardly even associated himself with those from Plegia. There's no way he would insert himself in a new army where he would not only have to deal with, but become close friends with what will eventually become dozens of people and counting. Not to mention he would never try to eliminate casualties. Because you can ask anyone here - I've been trying hard to keep as many people from dying as possible, civilians over soldiers, but people nonetheless. When Grima sacrificed all those people at the Dragon's Table, do you think he was regretful in the slightest? No! Because he just _doesn't care_ about anyone other than himself. If he cares for himself that is. I never really understood him. But please Severa, at least try to understand me. Please."

Severa looked away, staring at the ground with a small pout. She ripped her sword from the wall and stabbed into the plank flooring to rest her hands on the hilt.

"Yes, you're right."

"Ah, see-"

"Of course you can imitate Robin to a T. You look the same and you know his actions. And how do I even know you're close to the people of this army? I've been hearing of _Corrin's_ Army, not _Robin's_ Army. Not to mention no one stopped me when I dragged you away. If they were your friends, wouldn't they have asked who I was? Maybe joked about me being an old girlfriend or a crazy stalker? My friends used to do that all the time. Yet they stood silent as I dragged you away. And I hate to admit it, but I was obviously angry. Disturbed. Scared. Whatever you'd call it. Shouldn't they have been worried for your sake if you held any sort of friendship? Shouldn't they have tried to stall me for a second, or followed for your safety?"

"..."

Severa scoffed at his silence, pulling her sword from the ground and beginning to lift it back toward where she could take another good swing at Robin. Or stab down, since he was still pressed against the bed.

That was why he hadn't moved, actually. It would take a little while to maneuver a sword up above him and to stab it down, so he figured he'd have more time to roll out of the way by doing that. Because if she had her sword at her waist and he was sitting upright, it would be a single forward swing. If he was on his back, it would take an upward and downward swing. More time equaled more chance to survive.

That and he wasn't feeling all that great, and lying down was nice.

"It's because we're friends that they didn't come after me, actually," Robin said, causing Severa's eyes to widen and her arms to pause. "We're friends, so when I didn't object past that one 'wait,' they figured I could handle it. They knew that if I was truly concerned, I wouldn't have walked along with you. That if I was worried you would do something to me, I would have asked for help. But I didn't. So they left us alone. Does that make sense?"

"...Tch. I-"

"But I have to say, good job coming up with an explanation. I give you a B+ for that, with an extra A+ for effort!"

Robin gave Severa a wink then, and chuckled slightly. Which was difficult and quite frankly painful positioned as he was, back bent at an odd angle as he sat practically on the side of the bed, back really being the only thing making contact. It was a nice stretch, at least.

"You.." Severa whispered, tears building in her eyes, "You really _are_ him! You're the one who saved us..."

She barely managed to say the last part, her voice cracking as she began to sob. Severa dropped her sword in an instant, jumping on top of where Robin was, making his back crack rather loudly.

"Am I to assume 'him' in this instance is me, aka Robin? Or is 'him' still G-"

"Robin you big jerk! How… how could you so that! How could you do that to them!? To me!? I-I- uwah!" Severa was bawling by then, hands clenched in Robin's shirt, face shoved into his top coat. "If… If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Grima… sure it took us a while, but you were the one that helped weaken him enough so we could win. I don't… Bastard!"

Severa's hiccups were making her syllables repeat, and Robin was having trouble understanding the girl. Er, woman, now.

"Hey hey, I'm alive and okay, so don't worry about it, you hear me? I'm not really sure _how_ I'm alive and okay, but I am, so calm down 'nd catch your breath a little bit, please?" Robin pet Severa's head a bit, the red head raising her eyes to look at his own a few seconds later. Then she looked up and frowned, shooting to her feet and pushing his hand off.

"Hey! When did I say you could touch my hair! Never, that's when! You got no permission from me. If you do that you're going to mess it up, and I'm going to have to go through the trouble of fixing it for no reason! Hair this long doesn't look this good with no effort, you know," Severa scoffed, before dropping into a hastily mumbled whisper "Or, you wouldn't, since your hair is pretty short..." A shout again: "But still!"

Robin realized something was off then though, and asked Severa another question: "Wait a minute, what do you mean that if it wasn't for me weakening him, you would never have been able to defeat Grima? 'M _sure_ that I killed him!"

Severa shook her head. "Maybe in your timeline, but not ours. I'm not… I'm not the Severa that fought by you. I'm from… I think you guys called it 'The Future Past.' Where you guys came from some alternate past to save us after Grima had already won. You let Lucina deal the final blow after the fight with Grima, but after meeting you and seeing how good a person you were, and then seeing how underneath that Grima there was still a little bit of a Robin left, even if he wasn't really the one in control… Lucina couldn't do it. So that Robin managed to make Grima go away for a little while, while Tiki took up her new position as Naga and helped restore the land to how it once was.

"But eventually that Robin lost the control he had over Grima, and Grima returned to terrorize the land once again. Thankfully we had recuperated enough to fight back, and had managed to build up our supply of weapons, medicines, staves, and trained fighters as well. So we launched our own counterattack, without your help, and managed to kill the guy once and for all. As Grima was fading away, dealt a mortal blow by Lucina and the Falchion, that Robin came back. He came back to the surface and smiled, thanking us for finally killing him and letting him have his peace, and apologizing for killing Chrom and taking our futures away from us. He…

"You're both jerks. That Robin, and you, Robin. Self sacrificing jerks who don't care about how others will feel when you're gone. The B+ A+ thing… you said that back when we were fighting off Grima. So when you said it again I knew. I knew it had to be you."

"Uh…" Robin trailed unsure of what to say.

He had never said that. Or at least, he had never said it to _her_. Sure, he had said it to a girl named Severa. But that was time traveling Severa, not the Future Past Severa. So the person who told her that must have been either Grima, or the Robin possessed by Grima. Not like he was going to correct her though, since it had been the one thing that earned her trust and he wasn't just going to throw it away.

Instead Robin gave Severa a wink, but then noticed another thing was off.

"Wait, Severa, move your bangs again for a second, will you?"

"What are you talking about? Also, it's Selena now. Oh, and Inigo and Owain are with me too. They're going by Laslow and Odin, by the way."

"Laslow, huh? Like lazuli, but with an 'oh' instead of an 'ee?' That's creative. Still blue, but a new one! Pretty cool. And Odin, like the mythical god of war and poetry? Sounds like something Owain would pick. Say, has he gotten better about actually speaking in a way others can understand? Or is he still going off 'bout references no one gets and his twitching sword hand? And Selena… it's a pretty name. Did Owain pick it out for you, since he chose Odin? Selene's the goddess of the moon, after all. Too bad Laslow doesn't have 'ny mythical components. Although, it is a variant of László, which means one who commands glor-"

"Enough already, Robin! Gosh, you're getting to be like Odin with his rambling. I've already heard the same thing from him, thank you very much. Now then, here, I've moved my bangs. So what's up?,

Robin squinted for a second, stating at a spot just above Severa's right eyebrow. "Mm. I was right. Are you sure you're fully healed, Sev- Selena? You've got blood on your forehead. Fresh blood, by th' looks of it."

Severa patted her head, rubbing the blood off. There was no cut visible underneath.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe I just- Robin! For Naga's sake!"

"Hm?"

"Your neck you birdbrained… I cut you when we fell over! _You're_ the one who's bleeding!"

Robin blinked, slowly moving a hand to the left side of his neck. After digging through his layers, sure enough he felt the wetness of what had to have been blood on his fingers. He was so focused on Selena's conversation with him, so sore, aching, and tired from fighting, and so tightly bundled that he hadn't really noticed. He figured the pain was just something left over from the battle, but it seemed not.

That would explain why he was feeling so sick.

Robin moved to straighten himself, since he was still lying in his back, but when he sat up the world went for a spin. He fell back down and sighed.

"Man, this is really not how I wanted to start my day. I was gonna get a nice nap, 'nd read a book, maybe go out and state at the ocean for a while. Now I'm gonna be forced into th' medical tent for the rest of the day…"

Selena leaned over Robin then, frowning. "Medical _tent_?"

"I-I mean ward. Room. Cabin. Whatever. Here, lemme just-"

Selena 'tsk'ed and pushed Robin back down by the shoulders, lifting up his legs and sliding him over so he was fully on the bed.

"Do you have any bandages in here? Tell me now or I'm going to sprint over and find someone who can tell me where they keep the medical supplies on this ship."

"In th' middle right drawer of that desk over there. It should be in th'-"

"Less talking, more holding a tight hand on your neck."

With a quick glare sent Selena's way, Robin moved his right hand to his neck, gripping it as tight as he possibly could without blocking his airway. Or more like as tight as he could provided his hand wasn't really listening to him at the moment. With his left he reached over for a glass of water sitting on a table next to his bed, moving it until he could see a reflection of his neck in it. The dark colored layers he was wearing sure did a good job of blocking out any signs of blood. They weren't spectacular in the first place, and had a few dark splotches, so the gray spot made black by his neck wound blended in with the rest of the discolorations on his top layer. The remnants of the scarf Selena had ripped off him also sat upon the cut, blocking view further. Thankfully (or maybe not thankfully, since it was dark and he thus must have been bleeding a lot) there was a small space in between the scarf and his coat that was visibly red, which cued Selena in to his condition.

Robin had to wonder, if he hadn't asked her about her bangs and allowed her to leave, would he have continued to not notice until he had bled out enough that he couldn't get up to call for help? He had been okay as he was, and was thinking about taking a nap in the position. Would he have bled to death in his sleep, then? It wasn't a very nice thing to think about. But he couldn't help his curiosity.

He felt a cold hand lift his own then, and turned his eyes back up to see Selena had resumed her position above him. He hadn't noticed her walk over.

"Damn it Robin, how out of it are you? This is like the time we battled against Grima, where I almost got my head cut off by a surprisingly fast enemy with an axe. It was the left side for me too. The first thing you told me was to put pressure on the wound. But you made sure I did it with the left hand. The palm is better than the fingers, after all. You still in there Robin? You just made a speech about not dying, and this would be such a pathetic way to go out. C'mon, answer me…"

Robin tried to wink, but opened his eye so slowly it was more like someone trying to get up after a long nap. "Mm, I'm good. D'ya have a vulnery on you? To rub on the wound and close it up?"

Severa's breath caught in her throat. She had an expression Robin recognized, but couldn't read. Her face was shaking too much for that.

"Do you… Do you mean a vulnerary? I've got a concoction, let me just-"

"Nah, nah, don't wasde a cncoction. You're gonna need it later. 'M fine, just a vulnry'll be good 'nough."

"Robin!?" Severa choked, looking him up and down. She started ripping layers off of him, stopping at his undershirt, which had a growing red spot on it. "What? Why didn't you tell me you had another injury? And why did it only catch up with you now? I understand a minute or two delay, but-"

"Hey Sevs, d'ya see m' dagger in the coat? _My_ coat? Y'know, the one I alwayzz wear? 'ts not really 'ven a dagger an'more. Just a dagger hilt w'th 'n inch or three uh jaggedy medal…" For whatever reason, Robin's mouth wasn't really listening to him anymore either. His lips just wouldn't move like he wanted them to...

Severa's face wasn't just shaking at that moment, it was moving every which way. Along with her body. And the bed. And the walls. Did the boat just hit a rough patch on the seas or something? Was there a bit storm out there they were caught in the middle of? Robin could've sworn he saw blue skies past the ice Flora and friends made. But… did he? It was kind of hard to remember. Concentrating was difficult with how topsy turvy everything was.

"Uah?" Robin cried, or tried to cry, his voice coming out more like a soft gurgle than anything. Cordelia had flipped him into his back. Wait, when did Cordelia get there? Well, no matter, it had to be her. No one else had hair that bright red. He couldn't really see who it was anymore.

He felt a small yank at his back then, and was let go to fall back flat on the bed.

"Owww…"

Cordelia was standing in front of him in a weird outfit, holding something shiny and red. Well, mostly silver. But it had some red too. Everything was blurry, so it could have been a really small book for all he knew. Was it a new ornament for her javelin? She hadn't taken him out to practice for a while. Or more like show off… but that didn't make sense. Was she showing him the piece for approval?

"Looks nice, 'Delia. 'M sure you'll have th' prettiest jav'lin eround if ya put tha-at on," he told her, smiling the best he could. It was hard to move his face at the moment. But why was that again? Oh yeah, he was injured. But wasn't it his neck? Well, maybe neck muscles were connected to the face somehow? Robin knew there were some connectors, but he couldn't come up with them at the moment. Maybe Miriel would know. No, she would definitely know. Or definitely _nose_. He giggled a bit at that.

Maybe that wasn't the best joke, but the nose was on the face and-

"-!" Cordelia shouted, dropping her javelin piece to shake him. He couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Aaay, 'Delia, get Mirul fer me, please. I gotta ask her a quezztion…"

Cordelia disappeared from Robin's view, and he smiled again. She was such a nice lady, to do him a favor. For now he'd close his eyes and doze off. Miriel could wake him when she got there.

* * *

"Pathetic."

Standing over the unconscious man before him, Grima couldn't help but think how ironic the situation was.

"Once upon a time, I was sleeping inside of him as he ran around awake. Albeit a small, small part of me, given most of my soul was still trapped away, but I was still there. Now I can finally call myself awake, and _he_ is the one asleep, but I get stuck sitting around in his damn empty consciousness, still trapped but for no good reason."

Grima turned away from Robin. Long robes brushed up against his shoes and Robin's face, the fake god taking a step away from the man who'd been made to be his vessel.

"Really, Naga, wasn't it enough for you to paint me as some sort of insane god of death; to send a legion after me time and time again; to put the one I was meant to inhabit up against me?

"Up until now I thought it was to kill me. But no, you couldn't leave it at that. You couldn't just let me die. I hadn't paid enough for my _sins_ I suppose _._ You just had to condemn me to suffering for the rest of… his life at least. Trapped away in the mind of someone who fails to even realize I'm here my , less acknowledge me, watching him try and fail at things that would be so easy to fix if he would only _listen_. Yes, he's succeeded well enough to this point. But he's not always correct.

"His little speech about me not being able to deal with people? You know it's not true. Even in the… well, not really present time given our current location. Even in the new age, where Robin existed as a natural entity, I built my army at least partially off cunning. I never cast some sort of spell on them to make the Grimleal come my way. I simply asked. Promised them what I knew they wanted, and what I knew I could give. I approached Plegians outside that cursed cult and befriended them, filled them with curiosity, enticed them. They joined of their own free will. A choice made because they could see something in the one they chose to follow. Just as the Shepherds could see something in Robin."

Grima sent a glance over to Robin, rolling his eyes at the man's body, lying still on the ground as if he were a forgotten corpse. He kept moving forward though, knowing that no matter how far he walked, the distance between him and the heap on the ground that called itself a genius tactician would never grow to more than a few feet.

He continued his story, directing it up as if in Naga's direction. "The priests of the cult were mostly insane. I doubt the majority of them had the ability to correctly inform me the date, or even recall the names of their closest kin. Those I asked failed to, anyway. So caught up were they in their own ministrations and work that they blocked out everything not directly related to my 'revival' and their success. It was not even a revival, either. It was an awakening. The first exalt's blow hadn't killed me. It had simply put me to rest. A rest I miss. Being condemned to a new prison such as this…

"Hah, though those priests were so far gone they would have followed me no matter the actions I took, the rest joined me because they could see it was a good decision. Or, a good decision in their minds at least. My cause was one that would benefit no one but myself. Or not even myself, at that point. Even I was too far gone, caught up in the degeneration that plagued my people...

"Is this my punishment, Naga? Is this my punishment, for acting accordingly after what you did? You sealed them all away… every single one of them. My kin, all gone. Was I spared simply because you deemed me salvageable due to my impurity? Or would it be purity, without the imperfection? Because I held the blood of your kin as well, loath as I am to admit it.

"A cross between an Earth Dragon and a Divine Dragon, who would have thought it possible. Ha! Sure, my 'divine' blood saved me from being sealed away with the rest of my kin, with the rest of the Earth Dragons, because you supposedly believed I would remain incorruptible. That I wouldn't degenerate, that I would accept your dragonstones and your manakete, and every other name and item and suggestion you placed in my hands.

"And I did for a long while. For almost a thousand years. Until finally, I grew tired of your excuses. Of how you slandered the name of my father, and those of his ilk.

"Whenever the humans would meet you, fears of dragons and their dangers on your mind, you would always correct them: 'Oh, have no fear my child,' you would say without fail, 'the Earth Dragons were the ones that brought terror to your land. We Divine Dragons, the last present in this place, have never brought harm to you of our own intentions, and shall not ever bring harm to you. Place your trust in me, and I will make sure your days are safe and undisturbed. The Earth Dragons shall not harm you again.'

"It was bad enough to have to hear it from you. That much I was able to bear; your words weighed upon me but could never completely get to my heart. No, it took until the days you went around the land, searching for all the remaining divine dragons to unify and spread your story that I decided I would hear no more. That what you were doing was wrong. The Earth Dragons weren't all inherently evil. Yes, they degenerated. The truth that many went mad and many injured humans and other creatures that went their way cannot be ignored. But you never gave them a chance. You offered dragonstones to those you saw, you offered a way to becoming a manakete and away from insanity to those who just so happened to cross your path. But you never tried to get them all. You never offered an alternative despite knowing that the Earth Dragons did not want to stoop so low as to play human. You didn't even put in any more than minor effort to spread word of your attempts at playing savior, and of the options the dragons had before them.

"No, you simply put out enough effort to get yourself painted as what would eventually become the people's goddess, and enacted your final plan once the view had solidified. You sealed away the Earth Dragons without input as soon as they had fulfilled their roles as toys. As figures. As stepping stones. If you had put in a little more effort… if I had been old enough to realize the situation and to put in an attempt at saving my father's - at saving _my_ kin…"

Grins scoffed. "The blood of the divine dragons may flow in my body, but I shall never associate myself with your kind. You and your people, dwindling because no matter how hard you tried to put the people's fears on anyone but you, they still slaughtered and enslaved you one by one, will never be more than a stain upon my existence. Never more than a source of hatred in my 'pitiful' life.

"Sealing my people, not even allowing them the release of death, was already a cruel enough action. Then, when you deemed me insane too, you collected up Marth's descendant and gave him your tooth once again, sending him after the only Earth Dragon still roaming free, just as you had his ancestor do with mine. Though I wonder if the two of us are too close in relation for him to be considered my ancestor. It matters not. In the end we of the earth were just pawns in your plan to gain power. To have yourself revered as a goddess. And at this point…"

Grima let out a dry laugh, turning away from the direction he'd been walking in to see Robin lying on his back, head toward Grima. The tactician's eyes were open.

"Oh. You finally decided to stop lazing about and wake up, it seems."

"What did you mean by that?"

"By what? I said a great deal of things. You have to be more specific, Robin."

"All of it, frankly. What Divine and Earth Dragons are, the degeneration, why you were speaking to the…" Robin turned his head up, looking at the black abyss above him. His consciousness was pretty bland. "Well, not really _sky_ since we're in wherever we are, but you know what I mean. Did you really think Naga could hear you, and that she'd even be listening?"

"Asking something like that is rude, you know. But the answer is: not really, for your last questions. The damn wench is in all likelihood unable hear me. There is no harm in yelling though, is there? As long as I am trapped here… you and I are the only ones who can hear me if Naga cannot, and I care little about you determining me insane for doing it. You've already seen me at my worst."

"I have? You seemed to be doing pretty well when I saw you. With an army, and plenty of undead soldiers, plus a whole cult at your back…"

Grime scoffed. "Psch. As if! Having someone at your side is no sign that you hold any intelligence or 'well-ness' in the slightest. Even the incompetent can gather men, have they the least bit of charisma and a crowd of the terribly desperate.

"You remember those two bandits that brought along their many, many identical siblings to capture the merchant girl, do you not? They were idiots, and though able to swing an axe poor examples of leaders. Yet in their battle against you, they had full backing from their siblings. And in the battle beforehand, they had full backing from several unrelated persons. It is in no way necessary to do well to have a following. You just have to find a common interest."

"..." Robin looked to the other side, and pushed himself up into a sitting position, grunting as he did so. His body was aching. Particularly his back and neck, which were throbbing on top of the ache.

"Don't push yourself. I will _not_ be helping you more if you disregard what I did and injure yourself further."

"What do you-"

"Before you pack on any more questions, at least allow me to answer the ones already put before me. It is fairly difficult to keep track of them all."

"Fine," Robin gritted out, pursing his lips. "Then I'll bring back a question I asked before. What's up with the degeneration thing you were talking about earlier? I'm guessing you being at your worst had something to do with that." Robin tightened his face for emphasis, relaxing a second later due to the pain the action brought to his neck.

Grima simply raised an eyebrow in a way that was barely noticeable. He then crossed his arms, and looked at Robin with a curious expression.

"...When in my speech did you wake?"

"You can't ask a question in return for mine!"

"..." Grima stared at Robin, face blank.

"..." Robin glared back.

"..." Grima sighed and adjusted himself again.

"Darn it. Should've known better than to try to out wait a guy who apparently spent 1,000 years being patient for something. I woke up a little before you started talking about the first exalt's blow only sealing you. That was the first thing I focused on enough to comprehend."

"... So you missed the only thing I had to say specifically directed at you," Grima muttered. "No matter.

"The degeneration is something that happens to all dragons eventually, provided they don't take on manakete form. Naga and her people, the Divine Dragons, decided to do so. The Earth Dragons, on the other hand, were not willing to sacrifice their power to be trapped in some weak human's form. Along with the other types of dragons that resisted, they degenerated, going insane, and with the exception of one were all sealed away. The exception was Medeus, who sided with Naga and served as the guardian of sorts for the sealed dragons.

"Over time, manaketes faces more and persecution from the humans, and eventually Medeus waged war. He was defeated by Anri, your friend Chrom and even Marth's ancestor, but revived to fight again. But he still lost, despite his support and the effort out into his revival.

"You must have heard the story before, I'm sure, and our time together is limited so I won't go into detail. Technically there was another dragon who wasn't sealed away, but he didn't exactly take manakete form. It was more complicated than that. But as I said we're running out of time, and he isn't essential to what I need to say, nor will he ever be.

"Regardless, the Earth Dragons began to descend into madness, and for the sake of convenience I'll say they were all sealed away. However, that wasn't to say the Earth Dragon line was extinguished. Before embarking on his 'reign of terror,' as the humans like to call it, Medeus took a wife, and had a child. I suppose you can guess who that child was?"

Grima's face morphed into a cynical smile, and he raised a hand to the level of his eyes, turning his hand to gesture forward.

"A child of both Divine and Earth Dragons, it was lost to history. But not to Naga. When Medeus was dead and gone and the people began attacking any dragon out of fear, those remaining decided they needed someone to place the blame on to save themselves. A scapegoat that they could tell the humans to be scared of, so they could paint themselves as saviors," Grima finished. He let his arm go limp, and turned away from Robin, looking back up at the black abyss above.

Robin stared into the dragon's (manakete's? His form was that of a human at the moment. And from what he was saying…) back.

"They chose you."

"I never said I was the child."

"You're not? And I didn't say you were the kid, just that they chose you."

"You know the answer."

"...Why deny it?"

"I never denied it. I just failed to identify myself as the child. Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

The world seemed to shake then, in time with the harsh laugh coming from Grima.

"Do you think the divine dragons that are left would appreciate someone such as me calling themself their kin? No, not that. There is no one such as me left. And even if there were, it would be me alone that stood the object of their detestation. My being an Earth Dragon was surely a factor, but my direct lineage was what truly punched in their hatred of me. What made their choice that which it was when they needed to create their 'dark god.'"

"Why is not mentioned in the legends, then," Robin asked. "That you're Medeus' son - or frankly related to him at all?"

"Do you really think I was consulted in the matter, as to be aware of the exact reason?"

Robin blushed in embarrassment at being called out. Grima rolled his eyes again.

"But if I had to wager a guess, I would say that it was because of fear. Medeus embodied all the fears the humans, and even the remaining dragons, had. To the humans, he was an ultimately powerful being that they could not hope to best without 'divine' intervention. To the remaining dragons, he was a symbol of what would happen to them if they strayed from their paths; he was a symbol of what would happen to them if they lost their dragonstones, or if the manakete form was not a true solution, but something that would delay the inevitable. Medeus _had_ taken manakete form at one point. Yet he still became filled with so much hatred. Degenerated, in the eyes of the other dragons. Whether or not he ever got to the level that truly defined a degenerated dragon as applied to those who were killed or sealed away is something I cannot tell you.

"So in that way, he was the truest monster any conscious being could think of. Even the birds and the insects of Archanea avoided him, as legends said. They could feel the 'pure, evil power' dripping from him, as the people would say, and would speed themselves away lest they be subject to his terror. At least, the humans liked to spread that story. You decide if it sounds reasonable.

"When a monster is defeated, people never want to think of it returning. When it dies, it should stay dead for the rest of eternity. When Medeus truly died, the dragons who knew of me told all the humans and other dragons they could that he and his legacy were dead. It was never mentioned that he had a child, simply because that child alone would keep the people living in fear for the rest of their lives. For the rest of their lives, their children's lives, and the children after those and so on.

"My mother had been a divine dragon, and she worked to keep me sheltered to the best of her ability. She hid me from the hatred of my father and for his blood, and whenever the other dragons asked her about my father, she would tell them not to pry. But there was only so much misdirection and denial she could put up, and my identity became known. Just to the dragons, the humans staying uninformed, but known nonetheless. She was shunned, attacked, violated… Divine dragons were not the pure, kind beings the humans made them out to be. They could be just as cruel and ugly as the humans who revered them. My mother died young and alone, with only me by her side. But by that time, she had grown to hate me as well. I was the source of all her suffering. If I had never been born, she could have lived another several hundred years happy and in peace. I was her child though, as well as Medeus', so she never did live her happy and peaceful life, and as much as she wanted to abandon me, never could. She did make it very much known on her deathbed how much she hated me. Perhaps if she hadn't spent the last hours of her life spouting off all the reasons I was a demonic, terrible being, she could have lived a few more, the damn woman."

"That's-!"

"Well earned. Or perhaps, not well earned, I had yet to do anything to earn her hatred at that point past existing. But easy to understand. The reasons behind her hate were justified. Not that I approve of them, of course. Our lives would have been so much more pleasant if she had spent less time fussing over someone to the degree she invested herself in hating me. But she did fuss, so she brought it upon herself to a degree."

"So while you were a child and especially after her death, word got out about you among the dragons, and though they kept it from the humans, they kept it going within themselves so if the time ever arose…"

"They would have someone to blame, guilt free. They could say I was descended from the Earth Dragons and bring fear and hatred from the people, while keeping the fact that I got that blood from Medeus to themselves. The people would fight against an Earth Dragon - they would flee against Medeus' spawn."

"What was it that drove the dragons to tell the people about you, then? What made the people suddenly become so scared of the dragons?"

"Mob thinking. When there is someone more powerful than you, your first instinct is to become frightened. In the next moment, you may find yourself filled with awe for their strength, or a great veneration for their abilities. But at that first moment you become aware of how far above you that being is, by nature you fill with fear. For a few hundred years after Medeus' death, common human thought was to be grateful for the Divine Dragons' power since it would help protect them. But along the way, one or two here or there started to think about how helpless they would be if one day the dragons decided they could do without humans being around. These humans spread their fear to the other humans, and soon dragons were widely known as beings to be scared of.

"Attacks on dragons became common. Often, the humans would gather in mobs to attack. The dragons had been instructed by Naga, who by that time became their leader, not to fight back against the humans' attacks lest they confirm the humans' fears. But it would just as often lead to their deaths. And in all but the fewest cases in which the dragons disobeyed and fought for their lives, they would be swiftly defeated. A manakete's dragon form is not the same as a true dragon's form. A transformed manakete is smaller and weaker, as well as a slightly different shape. Among the dragons there were rumors that transforming back would induce degeneration, so many had never or extremely infrequently gone into transformed state. They had lived the last hundred years in their 'human' bodies, and had no experience working their dragon ones. When they attempted to fight back against the humans attacking them, they found themselves unable to win, outnumbered to the extreme, lacking power, and unused to the forms they had not quite retaken.

"Dragons died out by the hundreds. And since they had died out by the thousands when widespread degeneration and the sealing had occurred, these new deaths meant the Dragon population was dwindling.

"Despite Naga's best attempts, she could not quell the humans' fears with promises that her people would not harm them.

"No, the only way she could do that was to direct their fears elsewhere. At me."

Grima took in a breath.

"Though all dragons looked similar, or at least in the eyes of humans, they had distinct qualities depending on their race. Earth, Ice, Divine, and so on looked different. Which meant that I, a cross between two, was unique. Especially since one of the two was extinct.

"Naga spread word of a dark dragon named 'Grima,' descended from the Earth Dragons that had almost brought humanity's end a few centuries past. The people latched on to this new fear, and word spread quickly. What the original crimes Naga said I had committed were, I do not know, but I do know that by the time I realized I was the most hated living being in Archanea there was hardly a crime I was said not to.

"I could ignore it, at first. Keep my distance from humans, run from those who found me regardless.

"Eventually, though, that became impossible. Sometime after Naga spread her word, a cult rose up. The Grimleal. Just as Naga was the goddess of Anri's descendants and his people, those living in the lands Medeus had once ruled took me as their god. They had never gotten along with the followers of Naga, so they thought the perfect way to combat those people was to worship me, who she was said to detest.

"So not only was there word of me being an evil criminal about, but there were also fanatical men who described me as some sort of dark god that would displace Naga in time - displace Naga, who was the people's savior and guardian deity. That solidified my fate.

"With fear of me mounting, finding me became a higher priority. There were also more humans by then, so more people could work to find me.

"When you are attacked by three people, you can just run in the direction they have failed to cover. But when you are attacked by thirty, there is no way out other than fighting," Grima finished.

Robin was unsure. "What about flying out? Warping out? Couldn't you have done that?"

Grima stared at Robin as if he was an idiot. "Yes, just let me cast a warp spell while surrounded by a violent mob. They will surely give me the time to say the proper chant, the space to not catch any of them in it, and the peace to be untouched while casting it.

"It would have been nigh impossible. Besides, it was a long while before I mastered warp magic to the point you have seen me use. I was not aware of it at that point. No one was.

"And as for flying, you have manakete companions, do you not? Have you ever seen Tiki or the young dragon girl transform? Do they suddenly appear flying twenty feet in the air when they transform? Or do they transform at ground level, and then have to propel themselves up?"

Silence. Robin knew it was the second answer, and Grima had a way of making him feel so… small. He couldn't respond to that.

"Exactly. Transforming was my response in a few cases. But if I did, then I would knock away everyone in my path, and all around me would be injured. It was much easier, and held much less damage, to clear a path by casting a spell in a single direction, and firing back at those who chased me. Damages were dealt either way.

"Transforming was more of a bother, anyway, so I preferred magic. Though dragon form may be my natural state, manakete-dragon form is not. That bastardization holds no comparison, and always has a slight uncomfortable feeling associated merely because of the knowledge that it is not what it could be. Staying in that form after already having transformed is not such a bother, but the actual act of transformation is unpleasant. Feeling your bones twist and grow, muscles lengthen and new ones suddenly manifest. It is utterly disgusting. Plus, to cast a spell takes less energy than transforming. If I were only to transform for a second, I would rather use magic than have to feel myself change twice - once to leave human-manakete form, and once to return to it. You understand, right? The unpleasant feeling is akin to dark magic, in a way."

"..." Robin didn't really understand. He'd never transformed. He didn't think he could, either.

Once, after the whole incident at the Dragon's Table, he'd taken a dragonstone from the convoy and snuck off into the forest to see what would happen. He'd gotten a really weird feeling, but stopped when nothing happened. Although, that stop _was_ because he didn't want to feel that way anymore. Maybe nothing had happened yet, but something could have if he kept trying? No, he'd been standing there trying to use the stone for a while. It never took Nowi that long. The feeling was just a remnant of something long lost in his blood. Or maybe some sort of resonance with the piece of Grima's soul he held.

"Nothing to say?"

"Not exactly. I'm just trying to process. You've said a lot…" Robin suddenly felt the need to defend himself, but couldn't come up with a good excuse. Grima could tell.

"Making you feel sympathetic is not my aim here," the so-called god said.

"No, but it's… Ugh, sorry, I don't even know how to say it." His own inability to express his thoughts was frustrating Robin, and the man ran his right hand through his hair, closing his eyes.

"I at least understand what you mean, despite your inability to form the few words required to express it."

"You don't have to say that, I-"

"Robin, we are currently inside your consciousness. You are not the only one feeling your emotions. Every time your mind races, a breeze brushes past. When you realize your mistake with a jolt, an earthquake shakes the area. So no need to describe what you feel. Please. Being here is bothersome enough. I do not want to listen to someone describe the annoying 'weather' I already have to endure."

"W-well it's bothersome enough being with you too! No need to be so sassy. Sheesh." Channeling his inner Severa (or Selena now, he supposed), Robin crossed his arms.

"Hmph. I never asked to be stuck here with you," Grima shot back, mimicking Robin's pose.

"Neither did I!"

"If you had just died like you were supposed to, or submitted to me-"

"Like I would do that! I have friends I want to see again! Places I want to go to in a non-wartime setting! Books I want to read, and things I want to learn! If it were up to me, we would be separate, and I'd be back in Ylisse. Besides, what would you have done if I had submitted to you? Destroyed everything? Become ruler of the world? Because in Lucina's timeline, it sounded like you just killed everyone without regard, so I don't know what you would do with that kind of place. How do you rule if everyone's dead?"

Robin's speech got him riled up, and he was ready for some answers. Grima's actions really didn't make any sense. If he had started out defending himself, why did he eventually get to the point of wanting to destroy everything? Suddenly, Robin realized that his hair was flying every which way. Grima wasn't kidding when he said Robin's emotions were controlling the space they were in. It was as windy as the Wind Tribe village where they were at the moment. It calmed down upon his realization though, and as Robin took in a deep breath the wind faded.

While Robin was thinking Grima had resumed talking, so the tactician missed the beginning of the other man's response (did that apply? He thought of Naga as a woman, so that would make Grima a man. But, no he didn't, really. She was always a goddess to him, not just a woman. Even if she wasn't really a goddess. Calling Grima some random man was just as odd. But then again, Nowi was a… well, girl since she looked like a kid, so Grima would be a man then. Still, calling someone he'd always thought of as a god a simple "man" seemed so… anticlimactic? Wrong? Thinking really wasn't his strong suit at the moment).

"-s just destruction. I never cared about ruling over anyone. Similar to the Anankos we must defeat, I suppose. I was mad by then. Insane. After ever-increasing clashes with idiotic humans who believed it possible to kill me with their meager forces, I grew tired of dealing with them. Instead of blasting away at those in front of me, I would cast a spell in all directions. That way those that attacked me would be unable to join later mobs. If they were maimed or dead, they would no longer be a nuisance.

"The attacks the humans dealt hardly ever dealt real damage, they were more annoyances than anything, so after a while I stopped dodging. I would get hit and turn to fight back. It was too bothersome to try and jump out of the way, and the more I got hit, the less damage I took the next time.

"One day I did as such, and after defeating the group that attacked me, went on my way. It took an entire day before I realized that I was missing my dragonstone. The attack had torn a hole in my robes, and the stone had fallen out. I never payed it much attention in the first place, so I never checked to make sure it was still with me unless I was undressing to bathe. I had had an odd feeling ever since the attack, but at the time I attributed it to having taken more damage than usual. But it was the stone that caused it. It took me another day to return to where I had been, as the situation was not one in which I felt the need to hurry, but the people were gone. It had been in the middle of a road, where I had encountered a group of traveling mercenaries. They had been sent out to get me, and caught me away from people as to minimize civilian casualties. My attack did not succeed in killing them all, so when I returned it was to a few bodies, but no stone. They had taken it with them."

"And you didn't go after them?"

"I saw no need to. As I said, I held and still hold no love for transforming into manakete-dragon form. So, I let it go.

"After a few days, the odd feeling grew from one that proved a slight distraction to one I hardly noticed unless I put in a thought about it. A few weeks and it was something I enjoyed. It was a free feeling. Dragonstones restricted one's power. With that gone I felt… the feeling is indescribable. But it was not something I wanted to let go. Naga and her companions said that to avoid degeneration, all one had to do was put their power in a dragonstone. They never said that it was necessary to keep one's dragonstone with them.

"It turned out to be something like that. Though I had put enough of myself into my dragonstone as to remain in human-manakete form, my power continued to grow without it. And with power comes degeneration. When one degenerates… it is not something you really notice until the time to avoid it has already passed.

"The attacks by humans had continued and grown the entire time, as did the violence of my responses. All I could think was that I needed to make them suffer. That the humans who never ceases in their attempts to destroy me needed to he taught a lesson. That the people who had caused the dragons to turn my own mother against me needed to be crushed. I would show them true destruction. What it meant to 'destroy' something. I could hardly find any reason not to. The humans were pests - not only did they attempt to crush me, but they crushed everything in their path. The beautiful fields of my youth were burned down and replaced with cities. The endless desert I once called my home was stolen and settled, without any regards for the creatures that lived there. Forests that once housed all kinds of life imaginable were cut until only the dead trees still stood. Humans were ugly things, and they were making the world ugly with them. To get my peace, and to reclaim the world that was once so wonderful, I had to get rid of them. The world would have to suffer in the process, but it was only after the humans were gone that it could flourish again. It would be unfortunate during the time it took me to kill off my opposition, but after that the world would be born anew in no time at all. To my crazed mind, it was the perfect plan. So I made a pact with a human, one of the Grimleal that worshipped me as the dark god who would bring him salvation. We would destroy Ylisse together, other regions' destruction put off until I determined how effective the ruin of Ylisse proved.

"Naga clearly did not agree. She sent Marth's descendant after me.

"We fought. I was sealed away. 'Killed,' to the people he was with. But really, I was only sleeping, trapped in the same place my kin had been forced into over a thousand years prior."

"The Dragon's Table. Grima's Alter. _Your_ Alter."

"Exactly. From what I gathered, the Plegian mages assumed that I was simply lacking the power to break free, and that killing themselves would give it to me. I found no reason to object. I _could_ not object, unable to communicate with them in my slumber. Sealing me was not done with the goal of restoring my sanity, after all. As evidenced by what happened in that girl's timeline. Lucina."

Grima once again looked annoyed. But Robin was stuck with a revelation.

"Wait - You're the Grima from Lucina's timeline!?"

"Who did you think I was?"

"The one from mine! After all, I killed Future Me, who you were possessing, so shouldn't you have died and he survived, if anything!?"

"Mm, yes, that sounds most fitting. Not what happened though, sorry to say. Deal with it."

"But, that's-"

"I suppose this was the only option, then. Possessing you, or the future you, was what gave me the sanity to go about as I had. You were like my dragonstone, in a way. My anchor. Your body could contain my power in a way I could go back to being my old self, if only a little. The dragon we fought on was the Grima of your timeline. He died, that much is certain. But killing both of me with a single blow was impossible, I suppose.

"You remember the 'Future Past' timeline, correct? Where I had won, and was using you as I saw fit… In that timeline, after Naga died, her power went to Tiki. That may have been what happened with us. Your blow 'killed' me and the other Grima, but instead of both of us dying, he faded from existence while my power went to you," Grima explained.

Robin bit his lip. "That mostly makes sense, but there's one thing I don't get. How do you know about the Future Past? As in, how do you know we called the timeline that? How do you know there's a timeline we called that?"

Grima gave Robin an incredulous look. "Really? How do you think I could know?" he said, disappointment evident. "I am stuck in your consciousness, Robin. Everything that you have experienced had been run by me while I have been trapped here."

"But that doesn't work out! To know that you would have to exist for an equal amount of time that I experienced it, which would take a few _years_ but still not really apply because then you wouldn't be aware of what's going on _now,_ and-"

"You are overlooking a vital piece of information."

Robin made a noise of confusion. "Wait, what? Have I… are you saying that my 'death' back in Arit and my waking up in the field with Corrin, Azura, and Jakob weren't back to back? Was I unconscious for that long? But I… wouldn't I look older? Wouldn't my clothes have decayed or something? Or is it that I was held in some sort of strange realm where time didn't really pass, even if it was occurring? It's not as though I could've been in that exact position for several years. Unless I was transported there, but-"

"I think saying you have an overactive imagination would be a compliment. How you ever managed to decide on a single plan for your army to stick to while working as the tactician for Anri's descendant is beyond me."

"Hey, this situation is a lot different than war! Battles follow logic, to the most part. This doesn't."

"Excuses do not become you."

"Is that supposed to be some sort of redemption compliment?"

"Of course not. There is nothing that requires me to redeem myself. Not to you anyway. And though you were asleep while I mentioned it this time, you should already be aware of it, so your misunderstanding is pathetic.

"While I was sealed away in the Dragon's Table, a piece of my soul slept inside you, remember? I may be from an alternate future, but my soul is still mine. After the two of us were brought together following our 'deaths,' that piece of my soul returned to me, even if it was to fill a gap that had already been filled when I merged with the other Robin. That piece of my soul had seen everything you had in life, and had recorded it as your memories have recorded your life. When it came back to me, I was mad aware of your doings. A lot of what you have done is along the same lines of what the other Robin did, which I had already looked over, so all I had to focus on were the parts that failed to match up or otherwise interested me. Your memories do not play constantly, do they? As you live your life, they stay in the background until you find yourself in need of the experience they provide. It is the same for me. In our conversation I wondered what I could say that was applicable, and that is what came up. Stop being so cautious. It can be helpful at times, but I'm other situations it is needlessly time consuming and annoying.

"If you have any questions, I will always be stuck here, unable to leave, so worry not. Your information source will not be going anywhere soon. Unfortunately."

"Hey, I'm not too happy about you being here either!"

"Mm. Now that that topic has been covered, do try and be more careful, Robin. Sustaining such a stupid but severe injury is really not something you should be doing so willingly. I healed you this time, but thanks to how much energy that took I am not sure if and when I will be able to do it again, much less speak to you. Next time you are injured, it will be up to your own natural abilities to heal. I will not be able to save your life as I did now."

"Sustaining a-"

Oh yeah. Selena had cut him, hadn't she?

"Wait, what? What do you mean you won't be able to speak to me?!"

Grima sighed. "I only woke up myself a short time ago. For now, while I am sealed here, I have been able to recover some of my energy. Not much, though, and I expended almost all of it to make sure you lived from your wounds. Talking to you has used up the rest. Our conversation has to end here because of it. Staying awake… is not something I can do much longer. I will see you eventually. Any other questions you have about what we discussed now will also have to be answered next time we meet. Goodnight."

With a deep exhale, Grima collapsed, breathing heavily. He was barely awake.

"H-hey, you can't fall now! You're a great dragon god thing that may not actually be a god but is still crazy powerful! Can't you give me any other advice or information?"

"Advice…?" Grima's eyelids fluttered. "Grow your hair out. I have always worn mine long. You would look nice that way too."

The world shattered when Grima's eyes closed, and Robin could feel the world breaking apart. Not in a way that meant he was waking up - one that felt as though he would be swept into sleeping again. One last question sped through his mind before he was completely enveloped in the blackness and pushed into unconsciousness:

'Grima has long hair? Oh yeah, he isn't just me, and I guess he has a human form too. He was in it the entire time we talked, I suppose. But wait. What the heck did he look like!? His robes were swishing around and I know he had long hair, but what else? Oh come on I was looking at him, please mind before shutting down remember what he looked like, remember what he looked like, rememberrr-"

The world shut.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?" Selena asked, staring at Robin. He was pale, paler than usual, and lying on his bed. The ship lacked any sort of room specifically for medical purposes, so Robin was kept in his own room until he would recover.

Jakob kept his eyes trained on Robin as well, a puzzled expression in his face. "I don't… I don't know."

"What!?" Corrin yelled, shooting up from the chair she had been sitting in. Kaze had brought a few in some hours earlier, so the people caring for Robin could sit while they monitored his condition. "He can't… We can't just let Robin die! Because if he does, I… I don't know what to do! He's always led the army, and I know he said I was the one that brought everyone together and could lead if he couldn't, but I really don't know if I can and-"

"Lady Corrin," Jakob said with a firm voice, "take a deep breath. I did not say that Robin would die. I just… am very unsure of what is going to happen. By all accounts, he should be dead. He cut an artery. How he managed to live for over two minutes is a miracle - how he managed to live for over four with an additional back wound is unheard of. Impossible. There is absolutely no logical explanation for why he isn't dead. I mean, you saw the blood on his sheets. He must've lost over two, maybe even three liters of blood. And he isn't a particularly large man, either. This is the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"Do you know when he'll wake up?" Azura asked. She was at Corrin's side, petting the other girl's arm to calm her down.

"Frankly, it isn't a question of 'when,' but of 'if.'"

Corrin's breath caught in her throat. Sakura sounded alarmed from behind her.

"I suggest we cut or journey short. Instead of docking at Cheve, as we planned, I say we go to Frete. It's closer to our current location, and has one of the best clinics in Nohr. It isn't cheap, by any means, but…"

"Let's do it," Selena said, voice so certain it made Camilla raise an eyebrow. Finding out the relation between her retainer and Corrin's tactician would be interesting.

"Let's," Corrin agreed, setting the decision firmly into place.

"Then I'll inform the captain," Kaze called over, walking out the door. "She'll probably be glad to get rid of us early."

Corrin gave the ninja a teary eyed nod, and looked back down to Robin.

They were friends. He couldn't leave her, could he? She wasn't going to let anyone die, especially not him. Because if she lost him… How could she expect to keep anyone else alive?

* * *

 **Author's Note: So... Here it is. All the lore, very-headcanony stuff. It's... I did my best. As for the one other dragon I mention that wasn't sealed but didn't name, don't worry about him. He will _never_ show up again. It's just so I didn't mess up the lore too much. I've never played the game that character appears in and didn't want to upset anyone who has, so that's why there's a sort of throw-away reference with no info. I won't write about someone I don't know anything about past the fact that he exists. I read the wiki for my information to write that one sentence, so nothing more will come of him. This chapter is named 'Red' because I couldn't think of anything better than that. But it's kind of because of blood and Selena's hair? That was my inspiration, although that's kind of crummy inspiration, I suppose.**

 **One of the reasons this took so long is that after writing this, I realized how badly I messed up the timeline and continuity. I was trying to make it so the kids you fight with in the Awakening storyline came from the Future Past timeline, but after rereading it a week later I realized how that made 0 sense, and despite writing about 1-2,000 words of explanation involving memory alteration and double timelines I decided it was too convoluted and trashed it all. So I had to rewrite, which meant I didn't touch this for almost two weeks while dreading doing just that. That and as I mentioned above, I just haven't had the time to write. This chapter has technically been 'complete' since January 29th, based on the date I created the beginning of chapter 15 (which has about 800 words, so don't be expecting that soon. I haven't touched it at all this month), but I changed so much of it I wouldn't really say so. Oh and edit two minutes after publishing: Robin's A+ B+ line comes from his supports with Severa in Awakening. Edit 20 minutes after publishing: Grima's personality is supposed to be... well, he's supposed to be bitter and easily annoyed. Angry, but not furious. Just kind of... done with the world. Based off how he appears in the DLC and his more sane appearances in game, like when in Plegia with Validar and Aversa.**

 **This note is really long, so I'll cut it here. Happy 10th Anniversary, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn! That happened 4 days ago and I meant to write something in honor of it, but that didn't happen, oops. Maybe I'll write something for Path of Radiance's 15th instead, in... 3 years. Eh, that leaves me plenty of time to get started! Please take the time to leave a review if you can, and thank you for sticking with me. With this chapter we'll be at around 130,000 words, which is a lot to read. That takes dedication, so it's an honor to have held your interest so long. See you next chapter!**

 **Originally posted February 26, 2017. ~11,600 words without ANs.**

 **Eruran out.**


	15. Lalami

**Author's Note:**

 **I will try to have the next chapter out faster. This includes some filler (though I didn'd intend for it to be, so?), and reading back it may be a bit more than necessary. But I want to get out at least something, and it has some important character development and whatnot. I've been getting 3-5 hours of sleep max a night for about two months due to a busy schedule, and it's hard to find time to write, not to mention time to write that I'm awake enough to make coherent sentences. Hopefully things will get better soon. And if this chapter is slightly different than the others in terms of writing style, that's to reflect the difference between Robin being the narrator of sorts, and Corrin being that. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"Thank you so much for the ride, Captain," Corrin said with a bow. "I don't know how we could have made it here otherwise. And thank you even more for letting us stop early. I know this wasn't your original destination, so I really appreciate you changing your course for us."

The captain gave Corrin a smile, clapping the girl on the back. "Don't worry about it, sweetie! And call me Drake, please. It was a pleasure serving you nobles. If you ever need a ship, just call for Drake of Senin, and me and my crew will be with you as soon as we can! So go on safe now, because I want to be seeing your pretty little face again. Bye!"

Drake took a step back and waved, throwing a dagger from her side up at her ship when she noticed her crew was just standing there. They all plastered on smiles similar to their captain's once the weapon hit wood, waving Corrin off in an over-the-top manner.

"Uh, yeah. See you then!" Corrin replied, giving a quick wave of her own and running off to join her companions.

Night had already fallen by the time they made land, and the city where they docked was asleep. Still, there could have been people milling about, so it was up to the Nohrian members of Corrin's Army to find somewhere to stay for the night and locate the clinic to drop Robin at. Though Frete belonged to the kingdom of Nestra, not Nohr, Hoshidans were still met with suspicion, and a member of the Nohrian royal family would surely draw attention. So that meant only a few members of Corrin's Army could leave the docks, while Corrin, Camilla, Azura and most of the Hoshidans were left to finish with Drake.

It also meant Jakob was with Selena trying to get the group some rooms in an inn, while Gunter and Beruka went searching for the clinic with Robin. Jakob's staff could only do so much. It was thus decided that it'd be best to find a place with professional healers, herbs, and medicines to give Robin the best chance of a full recovery.

If you asked Corrin, Beruka was badly hurt herself and probably shouldn't have been walking. But the wyvern rider was on her feet, and wasn't acting hurt, so Corrin couldn't convince her to rest.

Reina and Orochi had wandered off to find some place to hide Redrum and Subaki's pegasus. Since they were on the Nohrian side of the bottomless canyon, Gunter was fine taking his horse, while Camilla guarded her and Beruka's wyverns.

Saizo, Kaze, and Kagero had also gone off into the night, looking for where they and the other Hoshidans could stay if the inn didn't work out. As ninja, they were able to stay hidden as they traversed the town, something that never failed to impress Corrin.

'Man, ninja are cool!' she thought, walking over to the trees Takumi, Sakura and their retainers were sitting under. 'If I ever get a Hoshidan retainer, I'm definitely going to get a ninja. Too bad there aren't any in Nohr, that would have made my days in the castle so much more fun…'

"I-its nice how the captain got s-so friendly after Robin got hurt, is-isn't it?" Sakura asked, one retainer on each arm.

"Not really," her brother responded, twirling the Fujin Yumi. "She just got nice because she's after our money. Her niceness wasn't because she felt bad for Robin - it was because she realized she was in the presence of members of both the major royal families of the continent, and that if she was good she'd be payed big bucks. It wasn't like she was acting from the heart. She was acting out of selfish greed."

"Wh-what…?" Sakura said, tearing up.

Takumi's eyes widened. "N-not to say that it was a bad thing! It's great to see you being so optimistic Sakura! I'm sure that at least some of it was heart based kindness! D-don't start crying now!"

Despite Takumi's words, the tears began to fall from Sakura's eyes. "Damn! I- er, I'm sorry Sakura. I didn't mean it, really! C'mon, cheer up. No need to cry!"

"D-do you th-think," Sakura said, shaking, "do you thi-ink you c-c-could give me a h-hug? To make up f-f-for it?"

With a nod, Takumi got up and did so, which effectively his Sakura from view. At her back was a tree, at her sides her retainers, so her front had been the only part visible. Her face was visible at first, but she poked out an arm to undo Takumi's hairtie and cover the rest of her, like a screen.

"H-huh? What are you doing!?" Takumi said, trying to pull away.

Sakura's grip must have tightened though, because the Hoshidan Prince found himself caught.

"I'm c-cold…. Don't let g-go… you're warm." Her voice was muffled, but Sakura's voice was still audible to those around her.

Wait, that was why she was stuttering so badly? She was just shivering, not nervous! Although neither was good. And it was probably both.

'Aw, I'm sorry too, Sakura. I should have planned something out so we wouldn't be caught like this, out in the night air without blankets… I guess we could get out our camping material, but Saizo and Jakob advised against it since we're in plain sight. Oh, what to do?'

Camilla giggled from where she was hiding under a nearby tree, and Takumi tensed. He was probably blushing under the blanket formed by his hair.

"You two are quite the sweet siblings. It can get quite cold back in the castle, so next time I see Leo shiver, I think I'll try that. His face when I push him up to a wall will surely be adorable," the Nohrian princess said.

Corrin pictured it in her head - Leo, walking down the halls muttering under his breath about the terrible weather, when Camilla would run up, spin him around, and push him down so her hair could veil him. He probably wouldn't appreciate it, and Corrin couldn't help but smile when she thought about his reaction. He'd blush so hard, his face would probably match Sakura's hair! And then Elise would get the idea to copy Camilla and try it some other time, but she'd be too short to reach him…

But for all that to happen, the four of them would have to reunite. Corrin couldn't just keep Camilla with her while Xander, Leo, and Elise were back with Garon. She couldn't separate a family like that. One that she wasn't sure if she was still even a part of.

A tap on Corrin's shoulder made her jump up an inch, yelling out in surprise until a hand covered her mouth and a hard chest met her back, keeping her from turning her legs or torso.

She did manage to move her head enough to see familiar green hair though, and relaxed. Kaze had come back.

"I'm sorry about that, Corrin, but when you made a noise I was worried you would alert the villagers," he explained, releasing his grip on Corrin and allowing the white haired princess to step away.

"Don't worry about it, Kaze. It's my fault for yelling so loudly. I should have been more on guard so I would've seen you come back."

"Not necessarily. Staying out of sight and slipping past people's guards is my job, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Of course not! I just kinda feel like there are some things I really need to improve in, so I can keep everyone else safe."

"I understand."

"Thanks, Kaze," Corrin replied. She threw a glance over to where the Hoshidan royals were, having scrambled to standing positions upon Kaze's appearance. Sakura was still shivering with Subaki and Hana at her sides, but Takumi had jumped up between his two retainers, hair messy and falling slightly past his waist. It was a silly sight, and Corrin could hear Camilla giggling again. "But that brings up another thing - why are you back so soon? Did you find anything?"

"Yes, though it is nothing good. Jakob and Selena managed to locate an inn, but it was at full capacity. They sent me back to inform you while they moved on to find another. However, given the size of this town, I don't think they'll be successful. We may have to stay outside for the night."

"Ou-outside?" Sakura asked, shivering.

Kaze's eyes widened momentarily, and he frowned. "Unless Jakob and Selena report manage to get us rooms at another inn, it seems so. I'm sorry, Lady Sakura."

The princess sniffed, upset, and Corrin felt terrible.

Subaki and Hana were quick to brighten the mood, however, giving Sakura words of encouragement and promises of help.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you nice and warm!"

"I'll make sure you're perfectly comfortable while we wait."

"And I'll make sure you have a comfortable cot to lie down on!"

"And _I_ will make sure you have a comfortable cot _and_ a comfortable headrest."

"You can count on me to get you a fluffy blanket as well!"

"As will I get you a warm cup of tea so you may feel as warm on the inside as well!"

"Well, I'll…"

Corrin sighed as Sakura's retainers bickered, promising their liege better and better accommodations and items. Sure, they might be able to give her a nice time outside, but it still wouldn't compare to a night's rest in an inn.

Azura seemed to sense her frustration.

"Corrin, take a deep breath," the songstress told her, "this will work out fine. It isn't as if we haven't had to sleep out in the open while on a march, nor is it as if this will be the last time. Sakura and the others, including me, are slightly disappointed we can't go inside when we're so close, but it isn't anything we can't get over. So relax, this will work out fine."

Camilla silently walked over and hugged Corrin from behind, pushing the girl's head into her bosom. "As Azura says. This is not the end of the world, my dear. I have only just begun traveling with you, so I can't say how this compares to things that have happened up until now, but I can say how this will be compared to what's waiting for us as we get closer and closer to father and whoever this mysterious character we're facing is. I hate to see you in such pain. For your face to be contorted like that… My dear, please tell me if there's anything I can do. You're not in this alone. You have all of us to help you."

Subaki and Hana's argument had grown to include Oboro and Hinata, with Takumi and Sakura trying to calm the four down, and their voices were providing a nice background noise for Corrin to escape too. But at the moment she was focused on Azura and Camilla, as well as Kaze who was looking at her expectantly. It really made her feel like she had to say something, to bring noise to their own group.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's just, in comparison to Robin-"

Azura shook her head, interrupting her fellow princess. "- who already has war experience, if his stories are anything to go by. You don't need to hold yourself to the same standards, Corrin. And he's discussed some things with us too, hasn't he? It's not as though he's never uttered a single word to us outside of battle. Even he valued our input, and you should too."

Corrin took a breath in to object, but found herself without anything to say. She couldn't find anything wrong with Azura's words.

Camilla, however, found something interesting.

"Oh? He has _war_ experience, you say? Now battle experience I understand, as there's been a lot of fighting as of late, but what _war_ experience could he possibly have past what Corrin had participated in? There haven't been any wars recent enough for him to have participated in other than this one, as far as I know."

"I don't know. He says he's from another land, and that he has amnesia, but I'm not so sure which of his words are true and which aren't. Well, I can tell when his words are true. But he has this tone of voice he uses when his words may or may not be true, and when he speaks in half truths. So I know he's participated in a war, or at least recalls participating in one, but I couldn't tell you about the details. Whatever he said about them falls into the category of 'might be true, might be false, might be in-between.'" Azura responded.

"Hmm… like our three then?"

"'Our three'?"

"A few years back, three people showed up to the Nohrian castle and made their way into being the retainers of Leo, Xander, and I, Selena being one of them. Their fighting styles weren't those shaped from endless training drills like most members of the military or passing mercenary groups. When they fought to earn their positions, it was in the style of those who've had to fight for their lives against unique foes. Like people who've seen battle over and over, and know what it's like to face someone they've never trained with or under, nor even heard of. I caught Selena talking with one of her companions, Odin, a short time ago, when she mentioned how she never thought she would be 'caught up in another pointless war.' It was just before we were about to depart in search of Corrin, and so I didn't bring it up, but now I can't help but feel they're somehow related. Selena's war and Robin's. They recognized each other, after all. But they didn't seem to recognize each other as allies. At least, Selena didn't. I'll ask her about it some other day, though. It's late now, and will be even later by the time we're settled and in private. For now, let's put our minds on something else, shall we, my sweet little sister?"

"I guess." Corrin nodded, and pulled away from Camilla.

She and Azura looked back at Corrin, waiting for her to say something. Kaze did the same, throwing a slight glance to where his brother and Kagero had gone off to.

"Kaze, do you think you could go look for Jakob and Selena again? You can get back here faster than them, so I'd appreciate if your check to see if they've made any process in getting us a room somewhere."

Kaze have a quick bow. "Of course, Milady." Then he was off, disappearing into the night.

Back with the Hoshidan royals, there appeared to be some sort of game going on, with Sakura and Takumi sitting on opposite sides of a board while their retainers cheered them on. Quietly, since at some point they remembered that they were supposed to be making as little noise as possible, but still heartily. Corrin didn't know the rules or what was going on, but after a second Azura leaned on to tell her that Takumi was winning, though he seemed to be going easy on his sister. That made Corrin smile, and she walked over to watch while she waited to hear back from Kaze or one of the others.

* * *

"Lady Corrin," Kaze called, having returned after roughly an hour, "we've found somewhere to stay."

"You have!?" Corrin exclaimed, shooting to her feet. After bring thoroughly defeated by Takumi time and time again in some game called 'Shogi,' she was ready for an excuse to move on.

"Yes. We will have to share beds, and some of us may have to sleep on the floor, but it is at least indoors and will shield us from the elements. Is that alright with you?"

Corrin nodded, and before she could respond Sakura stood up too, shouting a quick "Of course!"

Camilla and Azura both chuckled at the younger princess' outburst, and the girl blushed, turning her head down.

Hana drew the attention away from her liege and back toward herself when she requested Kaze lead them to their destination immediately, loudly making her way toward him. The ninja granted her request, making his way to an opening in the forest nearby.

It was best if they didn't make a commotion moving through town, he said, and Corrin found herself in agreement.

Some time later the group of ten found themselves in front of a large house, two stories high and a large way across. A large clearing behind the house was bordered on three sides by forest and on the fourth by the house itself, and thus hidden from the eyes of anyone looking at it from anywhere but the forest or inside the house. The trees provided good posts, so Camilla tied up her and Beruka's wyverns, whispering to them before stepping away.

Kaze walked up to the back door, knocking in a specific pattern. Ten seconds later, an old lady opened the door, dressed in sleeping clothes and obviously quite tired. She greeted the group, and when Corrin walked in she found Kagero and Selena drinking tea at an old wooden table, silent. Reina was in a room visible through the doorway, staring at something on the wall.

There were enough chairs at the table for all but the lady herself, and Corrin felt bad sitting when someone so much older than her couldn't, so she offered up her seat. However, the lady refused.

"Oh no, sweetie. You feel free to sit on down. I'm afraid my back hasn't been all the good lately, and if I sit on something so low I don't know if I'll be able to get back up again," she said, giving Corrin a sweet smile.

The woman had thick silver hair that reached her chin in straight locks, and eyes slightly darker than periwinkle that dropped under thin eyebrows. She wasn't particularly tall, standing at roughly Sakura's height with her slight hunch, and had dark bags under her eyes that showed either sickness or stress. Because of the comment about her back, Corrin figured it was the first.

"Oh, well thank you," Corrin said, taking a seat. "I'm sorry about your back, miss…?"

"Lalami. But you can call me Miss Mimi, if you want. What would your name be?"

"Oh, I'm Corrin!" the princess said, smiling.

"Corrin, hm? What a lovely name. And what about the rest of you?" Mimi asked, looking around the table.

One by one everyone introduced themselves, finishing at Selena who must've introduced herself alongside Kagero when they entered.

While everyone was saying their names, Corrin took the time to look around the room, taking in what she could see. The house was neat, with everything in its place and no clutter to speak of. Knick knacks of various styles sat on the many shelves of the house. There was a red and purple color scheme to it all, with each area focusing on one of the two alongside a secondary, more muted color. All in all, it was very well organized and very well taken care of.

However, it wasn't perfect. A fine layer of dust had settled on most of the items. A much thicker layer had settled on everything above eye level. With how well everything seemed to be doing, no paint chips or permanent stains, Corrin couldn't help but wonder what had changed recently to let everything go.

She looked back over to Mimi, who was chuckling in response to something Hana had said, and frowned. The old woman was shaking where she stood, and not because of laughter. Her poor condition had to be the reason. And when Corrin looked back to where the dust grew thicker, her thoughts solidified. Someone with a bad back wouldn't be able to climb up to dust or clean anything. So when they got dirty, Miss Mimi wouldn't have been able to clean anything.

Excusing herself, Corrin walked into an adjacent room to see if it was in a similar state. There she found Reina staring at something mounted on the wall, arms crossed. She must have taken her armor off when she arrived, since she was wearing a loose too instead of her usual getup and metal… whatever it was, that she kept on her back. It helped the woman look relaxed, and made her more approachable.

When Corrin stepped to Reina's side so she could get a look at whatever it was Reina was so focused on, the woman spoke up: "It's amazing isn't it?" she whispered, nodding her head at the object in front of her.

There, pinned to the wall, was a bow, alongside an old quiver filled with arrows. Or rather, there was a yumi. One that looked weird somehow. Corrin couldn't quite put her finger on it. But she didn't have to ask what was so special, because Reina explained it first.

"I never thought that I would get to see it. The yumi of Shuichirou of the Western Skies. I heard that it was modified to do extra damage, but this is more than I expected. Not only is it thicker than a regular yumi, but it has bladed tips like that of a naginata. Whoever the craftsman was, they must have been blessed to have been able to create something like this. By design alone you would think it would break or cave, but here it is, decades after it was out to such heavy use. And Shuichirou must have been monstrously strong to have been able to draw this. A regular yumi is hard enough to string and pull back - something as thick and heavy as this seems impossible to wield. But he did it. And that's how he became so famous. Oh, I can feel the aura of this bow flow over me. The blood this weapon must have spilled… Ah, if it wasn't disrespectful to Lalami I would love to pull Shuichirou's yumi right from the wall and have a go with it. Maybe if I wielded it, the memories of the lives it's taken would flow to me as well…"

Corrin blinked. "Huh?"

"Oh," Reina sighed, looking down at Corrin, "I suppose you wouldn't know. What a pity, too. Shuichirou's story is one of my favorites. When I was a child, there was a Kinshi Knight in the employ of the royal family named Shuichirou. He was an odd man, always humming to himself rather than speaking with the other troops, and heavily muscled for someone who uses a flying mount. Not to say that there are no Pegasus or Kinshi Knights who couldn't put up a fight in hand to hand combat, but the kind of muscles he had are normally reserved for Oni Savages and the like. Archers have backs to envy due to their work, as well as well toned arms, but he was beyond buff, if you don't mind my phrasing. Simply put, he was exquisite. Could have strangled a man with a single hand, if you ask me. Of course, I was young, so I may have an idealized picture of him, but no matter.

"Shuichirou, important as he was being a strong member of the army and a good acquaintance of the royal family, was always a subject of controversy. Because, despite regular regulations, he didn't live in the barracks with other soldiers, nor did he live anywhere in Hoshido that his fellow Kinshi Knights could find. Whenever there was battle and his skill was required, he would fly in from the west, swooping down to slaughter all those in his way. They say he had a custom bow, one that could decimate both in close quarters and from afar. Now I see how. Really, using a bladed bow instead of a naginata? What a wonderful timesaver!

"Oh, and what a wonderful way to feel the battle. The naginata is effective, but long. With this bow he would have been right by his victims' heads as he took their lives. He would be had the greatest view of their eyes as the light faded away, and the best angle at which to hear their screams. And the blood, so warm from such a recent kill, wouldn't have had any trouble reaching him if he was so close to the wound. I bet he was soaking by the end of every battle. Ah-! What a lovely sight that must have been. I'm jealous of his wife. Lalami's extremely lucky to have had a husband like that. Even if the stories talk about how he didn't rejoice in the bloodbaths he embarked on, the fact that he went on them sends me head over heels. It's a pity he isn't around anymore. I would be overjoyed to ask him about his battles and what went through his head as he fought them."

"Wait, you mean Shuichirou was Lalami's husband!?"

"Of course, don't you see his bow sitting here in her house? There are other pieces of his equipment and armor located in some of the other rooms, as well as some gifts from the royal family and prizes of military service. Not to mention the Hoshidan wall scrolls and color scheme. Haven't you noticed the reds, and all the eastern style paintings? Even his story matches up. No wonder he refused to live with the other soldiers. If he did, he would have had to leave Lalami. What kind of man would leave his lover behind? So he just stayed with her here, in the west, until he was needed. Or maybe not exactly here, but somewhere to the west of headquarters. Such an admirable man…"

Reina went silent, breathlessly staring at the yumi before her. When she kept silent for another thirty seconds Corrin walked back to the table the others were sitting at, throwing one last glance at the weapon Reina so admired.

Corrin had never heard the story, but for that she was kind of glad. The respect and awe Reina showed when giving it really made the story all the more impressive, giving it life, and Corrin doubted anyone else would have been able to tell it so well, excluding Lalami, or Miss Mimi as she had asked to be called, herself.

But Corrin wasn't going to ask the old lady. Asking about someone's dead husband seemed rude.

The story was also a nice explanation as to why Mimi had let the group in. She was married to a member of the Hoshidan royal army at some point, so maybe she felt an obligation to help the royal family. Or maybe it was that she trusted Hoshidans and knew how much opposition they would get in Frete. Perhaps it was just that she was a nice lady wanting to help a lost group out. Corrin didn't know.

When she sat back down, the princess noticed how empty the table had become. Of the original group, only Kaze, Kagero, and Camilla remained. Miss Mimi was standing in her kitchen, pouring four cups of tea.

"I was wondering if you were coming back," she greeted, setting cups in front of Corrin, Kaze, and Camilla. She then walked back into the kitchen to retrieve the tea pot, refilling Kagero's cup before setting it down and retrieving her own cup.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was just listening to my friend Reina talk about-" Corrin paused, unsure of what to say next. Should she make something up? Or should She be honest and risk upsetting Miss Mimi?

"Shuichirou, right? She seemed enamored with him when I mentioned his name. You know, usually a woman gets upset when a much younger lady gets giddy over her man. But your friend seemed so honorable in her admiration that I couldn't help but smile. She's an odd one, but it was nice to be able to talk to someone about my husband. It's been so long…"

Miss Mimi trailed off, and silence filled the room.

The five of them sat (and stood, in Mimi's case) there like that for a few minutes, only moving to refill their tea cups. It was nice, a welcoming peace when compared to what Corrin and her army had been dealing with since the day they had gotten together.

Once the teapot was empty and the contents of the teacups gone, Kaze rise to his feet, quickly grabbing everyone's cups before Miss Mimi could get to them. Corrin shot up too, swiping the teapot right as the old lady's fingertips reached it.

"Not tonight, Miss Mimi! You're already hosting us! The least we can do is wash a few dishes in return."

"Ah…" the woman started, breathing deeply. "Well, who am I to stop you. Thank you two. I'll be heading to bed now if that's all right with you. If anything comes up during the night, feel free to knock on my door to wake me. If I'm right, your friends Jakob and Orochi are preparing your rooms. They insisted on doing it themselevs, rather than letting me. Or rather, the one dressed as a butler insisted on doing it himself, and the woman forced her way in. Any complaints you have can be filed with them. Goodnight, young lady, young man."

"Goodnight," Corrin and Kaze voiced simultaneously, the former waving while the latter gave a small bow.

When Miss Mimi was out of sight, Kaze took the teapot from Corrin's hands.

"If you don't mind me asking," the ninja began, "have you ever washed dishes before?"

Corrin frowned. "Well, no, but that doesn't mean I never can! Let me help out, come on."

"I would love to, Lady Corrin, but this is a very expensive and fragile tea set. If you were to drop part of it because you were unused to how slippery fine porcelain becomes when wet, it would surely break. I don't think Miss Lalami would appreciate a guest offering to lessen her work and then destroying her property in turn."

"Th-that's-"

"Completely true," Jakob butted in, walking to Corrin's side. His sleeves were rolled up, and a fine sheen of sweat was visible on his forehead. "Now then, if you'll allow me."

Kaze handed over the teapot, and Jakob got to work.

"I'm completely useless, aren't I…"

"Not at all Lady Corrin!" the two men hastily replied, furrowing their brows.

"But I can't even wash dishes…"

"There are many other useful things you can do, Lady Corrin."

"Like what?"

"Like…"

Corrin pouted.

"There's no one more skilled than you at cheering up our army, for one," Kaze supplied.

Jakob nodded. "And you're one of the most skilled fighters we have, as well."

"Plus," Kaze added, "when it comes to making new friends and allies, you're always the driving figure. Our forces would be much smaller if it weren't for you and your charisma."

"Really?" Corrin asked, eyes glistening. "Thank you you two, it means a lot!"

Corrin threw her arms around the butler and ninja, gripping them tightly. Kaze let out a happy sigh, and Jakob chuckled.

"Now then… When you're done with the dishes, do you two think you could help me with something? We might lose out on some sleep, but…"

"Anything for you, Lady Corrin," the two men responded.

Corrin grinned, and explained her plan.

* * *

"This is…" Miss Mimi began, looking at the shelves in front of her.

Jakob, Kaze, and Corrin all looked at each other, smiling in their own ways.

Not a single speck of dust was anywhere to be seen in the house, a result of hard work by the three the night before.

Or rather, night and morning before, as they had only finished about twenty minutes prior to the old lady walking down the stairs, but close enough.

"Oh my goodness. This is wonderful. Thank you all so much!"

Tears formed in Miss Mimi's eyes, and she made her way over to Corrin, hugging the dragon princess.

"I can't tell you the last time everything was as spotless as this. And are those figurines polished? I didn't even know I still had polish in the house!" Mimi moved over to hold up a small figure of a kinshi, flying high over a bright meadow.

The truth was there _hadn't_ been any polish left in the house, but Jakob had snuck out to buy some while Kaze and Corrin were dusting. Corrin threw the butler a glance and saw him smiling, radiant pride evident from the way his eyes sparkled. It was his idea, and it payed off well.

The trio had also recruited Reina partway through, when they realized she was still looking at Shuichirou's belongings, telling her that Miss Mimi probably wouldn't mind the Kinshi Knight touching her husband's belongings if it was to clean them. That motivated her immediately, and Reina set to work, cleaning with a fervor matched only by Jakob. The more she cleaned, the more she could touch, after all.

After looking at her now sparkling shelves, Miss Mimi moved toward the kitchen, telling the four to "go on and rest for a little" while she made breakfast. Except, she never finished her sentence. Because there on the table was a full Hoshidan style meal, in front of a well cushioned chair that Corrin had made by piling on pillows and blankets from one of the couches in the other room. The princess figured that it would provide enough support for her hostess. It was mainly inspired by how bad Corrin felt watching Miss Mimi stand and shake the night before, and how she wished the old woman could relax.

Reina had been the one in charge of making Miss Mimi's breakfast, using an old recipe she said was popular with people her parents' age, like Shuichirou would be and Miss Mimi likely was. The Kinshi Knight figured the old lady hadn't had anything like it since her husband had passed away, and that it would be a real treat. And by the way Miss Mimi's eyes lit up when she took a bite, it seemed to be just that.

Jakob went into the kitchen to make breakfast for the rest of their companions, having gotten Selena up earlier that morning to shop for supplies. Of course, as soon as the redhead returned and set down that which she had purchased, she went immediately to bed, not helping prepare or even put away anything, but it was help enough. Corrin still wasn't sure what the town's reaction would be to seeing Hoshidans running around.

And speaking of Hoshidans running around, there was someone missing whom Corrin hadn't seen since he ran off the night before.

"Hey Kaze," Corrin asked, drawing the ninja's attention, "did you ever see Saizo come in last night?"

"...no." Frowning, Kaze glanced at the door.

Did Saizo even know where they were staying? And while she was in that note, did Gunter or Beruka know either? They had never shown up to Miss Mimi's house. Wait, did they even find the clinic and get Robin in?!

"Is something wrong?" Miss Mimi asked, putting down the chopsticks she was using.

"No no, everything's fine! I was just wondering where someone was, but it's not important. I'm sure they're doing well!"

"Say, did your friend ever contact you from the clinic?"

"You know about that?"

"Of course. Jakob and… Selena I think it was, told me about your sick friend when they came to my door. I found out more when that female ninja, Kagero, came, but I have a pretty good idea of the situation. Are you going to go visit your friend after breakfast?"

"Ah, yes. Well, after I find out where the clinic is. Do you think you could lead me there, Miss Mimi?"

"Of course I can-"

"- after Lady Corrin gets at least three hours of sleep in," Jakob interrupted from his position in the kitchen.

Corrin took in a breath to object, but Kaze backed the butler up. "I agree. Whatever condition Robin is in, he's likely unconscious, and you arriving three hours earlier or later won't be the death of him. You've been up all night Lady Corrin, and need to rest. You're the backbone of our group, and we can't have you getting sick now. That, and we all care for your health. As companions, we don't want to see you going down too."

Miss Mimi nodded. "I agree. So, I will be leading you to the clinic, but not until I've made sure you got in a good nap! Now go on then, sweetie. If you want, you can sleep in my room, away from all your noisy companions."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that!" Corrin said, waving her hands. "I'll just take the room set out for me. I'm sure everyone will quiet down when I ask them to!"

"Of course. If you want to clean up, there's a bathroom off to the right of my room. Feel free to take a nice, long soak in the tub to relax. There's a few hair rubs my daughters keep in there that you can use if you wish. You've certainly got beautiful locks that I'd hate to see ruined by something as pesky as war!"

"Daughters?"

"Yes, three of them. Why do you think I have such a large house? They've all grown up and moved away though. They still visit, but never all at once, so it was nice having you here. It brings some life back into the house. Of course, having you all is much more lively than having just my three girls over, but it's fun nonetheless. Now scamper off, you, or I'll convince your friends here to keep you under house arrest and not let you visit the clinic at all."

"Yes ma'am!"

Corrin sped off to the rooms her companions were staying in, popping her head in each one until she found the one with her bag. Inside were Orochi, Selena, and Camilla. Orochi was sitting on one of the beds, looking at some odd cards, while Camilla and Selena were sharing the other one. Selena was quite asleep, hair strewn everywhere, but Camilla was awake, lazily looking at her retainer snooze on. She looked up to Corrin as the dragon princess walked in, giving her younger sister a lazy smile before returning to what she had been doing, running a hand through Selena's red locks. Orochi stood, relinquishing the bed, but Corrin shook her head, motioning to the bag sitting at the bed's foot. Orochi glanced down at it and smiled, opening up the closet nearby to retrieve a towel which she shoved in Corrin's hands with a smile.

The diviner then grabbed the bag herself and led Corrin over to the bathroom Miss Mimi had spoken of, turning on the tap and letting water fill the tub. When she didn't move after it filled, Corrin posed a question to the older woman.

"Um, what are you doing, if you don't mind me asking?"

"What am I doing?" Orochi responded, putting a finger to her lip, "Well what does it look like I'm doing? I'm preparing a bath for you, silly! Haven't your servants done that for you in Nohr? From what Jakob says, that was commonplace over in the fortress you were kept in."

"W-well yes, but… uh, what are you planning on doing exactly?"

"Washing your hair! I used to do it all the time when you were little, and I even washed Lady Mikoto's hair a few times within the past couple years."

"Oh. Then, uh, feel free. I'll just… sink in."

Timidly stripping, Corrin stepped into the tub, full to the point of almost overflowing. She sat under the water for as long as she could hold her breath, only getting out when she needed to breathe. Once up, Corrin looked up to Orochi for a second, blushing at the woman's bright smile. She then hugged her knees to her chest and moved her head to face the opposite wall.

Orochi giggled in response, scooping up a handful of light hair and procuring a brush from somewhere nearby, brushing out the long white locks while Corrin blew awkward bubbles in the water.

"You know, there's no need to be so closed off. We're both women, and it's standard in Hoshido to take baths together. Though some people prefer to wear towels the entire time, spoiling the fun," Orochi commented.

Corrin didn't say anything in response, just making more bubbles, and Orochi sighed. "If you want, I'm sure there's bubble formula I could use to cover you up. Would you prefer that?"

Corrin nodded, and Orochi rose to retrieve the bottle.

A minute later the tub was a mass of bubbles and soap, with Corrin's head and hair being the only part of her visible.

The princess wouldn't say it out loud, but she didn't really like soap bubbles. They obscured her view of the water, and her connection to it, and that was never a pleasant thing. Water always helped to calm her. Sitting in it would help, but it wasn't as nice as resting in a tub unmuddled with soap bubbles. Corrin couldn't really explain what exactly it was that made her so happy when around water, but whatever it was was obvious enough for Jakob and the other servants back in the fortress to notice. Whenever something bad happened and her mood would take a turn for the worse, there always seemed to be a bath waiting for her, warm and freshly drawn. If there was a pool there, she probably would have jumped in it on a daily basis.

"So, how does that feel?" Orochi asked, rubbing some floral-scented thing into Corrin's hair.

"Nice…"

"Oh, a word reply rather than a bubble? How special!"

"Hey! You could understand what I meant, so I don't see what's wrong with it!"

"Nothing at all, princess. It's cute. And familiar. Queen Mikoto would do the same thing whenever she went for a soak. She was always more interested in playing with the water than getting clean, even when she had an important meeting she needed to be preparing for and didn't really have the time to goof off. Like mother like daughter, I suppose."

"..." Corrin didn't reply, instead blowing more bubbles.

Should she tell Orochi how bad it made her feel to be compared to Mikoto? Because on one hand it was wonderful knowing she shared something with the mother she never got to meet, but on the other it was terrible to be reminded that she had ended the life of someone who would never again be able to do those things. But, that was part of life. In any case, Corrin did want to hear more about what her mother was like, so the information was appreciated. Just… maybe not at the moment.

"...-eally are exhausted, aren't you?" a distant voice said, startling Corrin.

After a few seconds she realized the bath water had cooled to room temperature, and that her hair was free of the soapy bubbles she could have sworn were in there before.

Orochi stood over the princess, hands holding out a fluffy towel. "Dozing off like that in the tub can be bad for you, you know. I wouldn't want you getting cold, and then catching one!"

Corrin looked up at her, still drowsy.

"But I guess that's what happens when you run yourself so hard and don't get a good night's rest. C'mon, let's get you dried off and to bed, okay?"

Corrin continued to stare at Orochi for a second, her groggy mind not quite processing what Orochi was saying. She realized after a second though, shooting up to grab the goal Orochi was holding.

The princess was still in a wet tub, however, and slipped forward with the motion. Orochi was there to catch her however, wrapping her up in the towel and setting her down outside the tub.

"You really are just like your mother. I swear, if we have a repeat of the incident where she slid into a wall after getting out of the bath and gave herself a concussion…" Orochi was muttering to herself, low enough that she probably didn't think Corrin could hear, but the younger woman caught it anyway.

Her mother was really clumsy like that? Corrin figured that as a queen she'd be a little more… poised. Graceful. But it seems not.

Corrin thanked Orochi for the help and put on a nightgown, wringing her hair out with the towel as she walked back to the room she was sharing with her sister, Selena, and Orochi herself. Selena hadn't moved since Corrin had left, but Camilla was gone.

'She must be downstairs getting breakfast with the others,' Corrin thought, crawling into the bed Orochi had been sitting on earlier.

With one last glance up at Orochi, Corrin gave a slight smile, before curling up under the covers and closing her eyes.

* * *

 **Author's Note: And that's the end. I was falling asleep while writing this, and once I wrote that last sentence I took a five hour long nap. Like I said up above, this is filler. But this is probably the best split for this area. Also to everyone wanting me to split more from the game's path, here's the first major time it'll happen. Some chapters will fall back in line with what happens in game, some may be more unique. Also here's most of Corrin's character building arc for a while. She doesn't feel good enough, so everyone has to reassure her. She'll be better from now on. Less self-doubting. Hope this was at least sort of interesting, even if nothing good happens. When I finish this story I may go and cut this chapter out, and just add the important parts to the next one. I just really don't want to make you all wait longer, and I've barely started the next chapter ( _edit: probably won't, since you guys say it's fine. thanks for the reviews!)_. Thanks for reading. Oh, and last thing. I'm thinking of changing my username to Mariyekos. I'll make a poll up on my profile about it, so please do that if you have the time!**

 **Originally posted March 27, 2017, ~7,600 words without ANs.**

 **Eruran out.**


	16. Visits and Violence

**Author's Note:**

 **Ha. Ha. Hey guys. It's been a little while. Ha. Not too long right? Eh. You know, just 2 months and 3 days. Not long at all! I have no excuses. I've been lazy, and couldn't really figure out what to write. That's it.**

 **Anyway, Shadows of Valentia is super fun, and I'm loving it so far. I've played Gaiden before, so it's nice seeing the improvements! Some things I feel are a bit fast, but it's great otherwise, and I'd really recommend buying it if you have the money and the time! I bought the DLC for it, but my internet is acting up and my 3DS won't connect, so I haven't played it yet and it's just kind of sitting unclaimed. I have the code...**

 **EDIT: also I haven't finished SoV! I'm on chapter 3 right now. And chapter 6 didn't exist in Gaiden, so please don't reveal what happens there because I don't know yet!**

 **SoV isn't Fates or Awakening though, so that's that. Now, without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

It was well past noon by the time Corrin woke, the room she slept in empty of people other than herself. She could hear a few conversations going on in the rooms next to hers, but they were muffled enough that she couldn't quite understand what their participants were saying. Blinking to clear some of the grogginess she felt, Corrin stood to put on her armor, only to find it missing. In its place was a pile of cloth she didn't recognize. The princess felt awkward walking downstairs in only her nightgown, so she decided to wear it, figuring it had been left out for her.

Once it was on, Corrin took a look at herself in the large mirror by her bed, twirling to get a good view. The cloth turned out to be a white sundress, sunflowers climbing up the left side, along with a pair of black tights that went from her waist to just below her knees. There were also a pair of socks and some short-cut boots to go with the outfit, which cut off at the ankles, much to Corrin's relief. She didn't know how well she'd be able to manage in the knee-highs her older sister wore. Camilla could walk and even fight in them, but Corrin didn't think she could do the same.

When she walked down the stairs, it was to find Kaze and Reina chatting with Miss Mimi in the sitting room, and Jakob stirring a pot of something on the stove.

The first three gave Corrin short greetings, to which the princess replied in turn. She then went over to Jakob, attempting to peek over his shoulder to get a glimpse at whatever he was cooking.

"My lady," the butler said, whisking the pot away, "no need to concern yourself with the chowder's preparation. It's already done, I was just keeping it warm. Please sit, and I'll serve you shortly."

Corrin nodded, and moved to take a seat at the table. "Thanks, Jakob."

"It is my pleasure, Lady Corrin," he replied, bringing over a bowl full of the chowder he had mentioned. It looked delicious.

"Say," Corrin asked, spooning some of it into her mouth, "how long was I asleep for? And where is everyone?"

"Not long enough, in my opinion. But you've seen Kaze, Reina, and Lalami, correct?"

Corrin nodded.

"Very well. Lord Takumi and Lady Sakura are in the backyard with their retainers, who appear to be having some sort of contest to prove which pair is better. Don't ask me how it started. All I know is that they've been at it since they rose shortly after you went to bed, and that Hayato and Rinkah are watching them intensely.

"As for Lady Camilla, Selena, Orochi, Azura, and Kagero, they're all upstairs. As of the last time I checked in on them, they were conversing on what to do about leaving Nohr and their comrades who were sent off to Hoshido for the moment. Kagero is speaking with Saizo, who arrived about an hour ago, about who knows what. Presumably Lord Ryoma or Robin. I've not the slightest clue past that. Is that helpful, Milady?"

"Of course, thank you Jakob." Corrin paused in her meal to give her reply, setting down her spoon to take a large breath.

That accounted for most everyone, but Gunter and Beruka were still missing.

"If you're wondering about your other friends, the red ninja said they were with Robin at the clinic," Miss Mimi said, drawing Corrin's attention. "Once you're finished with your meal, I'll guide you over there."

"Thank you." Corrin hurried to finish her meal, swallowing chowder so fast she almost choked.

Miss Mimi seemed to find it endearing though, chuckling softly from where she stood. "You remind me of my middle daughter, Annette, when you do that. That girl was always in such a hurry… I suppose it's fitting that I gave you one of her old outfits to wear."

Finishing her bowl and handing it to Jakob, Corrin went over to the woman, eyebrows raised. "Really? What's she doing now?"

"Oh, I don't know. Last I heard from her she was marrying some wyvern rider she met while on the job. It's been two and a half years since then, though, so she might have moved on. Whatever she's doing, it's keeping her busy enough not to have the time to send a letter to me! I just hope she's happy."

"..."

"Now then, off to the clinic we go, honey. I want to make sure you get there early enough to be able to stay a while before it gets dark and you have to leave. The clinic is in this town, but it isn't the closest, so we have a ways to walk."

"Of course."

The two walked past Kaze and Reina on their way out, giving them a small wave as they passed through the door. The two Hoshidans waved in return, disappearing once Corrin shut the entrance to the house and looked to Miss Mimi for directions.

The old lady led them down the street quietly, listening to the sounds of chirping birds and young children running down the streets rather than starting conversation. Corrin was fine with it. Even though she had lived in Nohr most of her life, she couldn't ever remember going to a town like this. It was a lot to take in. And quite beautiful.

Miss Mimi was going at an extremely slow pace, hobbling a bit as she walked, which dragged out their journey a little further. It also allowed for Jakob to catch up with the duo a few minutes later. He had run up to them from behind after washing the dishes, and decided to accompany them to the clinic for reasons he wouldn't disclose. Suspicious if you asked Corrin, but she didn't question it. Jakob was always so forthcoming with her, so whatever reasons he had for his silence must have been justified.

When they entered the clinic Corrin was taken aback by how… pristine, it was. Everything was a blinding white. Clearly the clinic was high class. Which was odd, because despite the cheerfulness of the town around it, most of the buildings were run down and falling apart. Miss Mimi's was probably in one of the best shapes of anything Corrin had seen so far, actually. So to see such a clean and well kept place was odd. It blew even Miss Mimi's place out of the water. And while it was always good to keep medical facilities in good condition… wasn't it also good to keep the houses around it running well too? Whoever was funding the place probably didn't care much for the town.

"Ah, Miss Lalami," the woman at the front counter said, looking down at the old woman with a strange look on her face. "We've told you time and time again, but I'll say it once more. We can't help you. The resources we have are sparse, and there are much younger people with much longer lives ahead of them to give them too. That, and the price is far above what you can pay. I'm sorry, but nothing has changed since the last time you were here. So please go back home, ma'am, because we have nothing for you at the moment."

Miss Mimi gave a sad smile. "Actually, I'm not here for myself at the moment. These two youngsters are looking for their friend who checked in last night." She gestured to Corrin and Jakob, standing to her left.

"Exactly," Corrin affirmed, "he's-"

She paused. Would Gunter have checked Robin in under his own name? They didn't want to spread their presence too much, so he could have been taken under some fake name.

"-pale, white haired, was probably wearing bandages wrapped around his torso when he arrived, suffering from blood loss, and unconscious. He would have arrived with an old man with purple hair, alongside a short young woman with blue hair. The woman was slightly injured as well, and may have been admitted depending on whether not she relented to anyone's requests." Jakob relayed the information instead.

"That matches the patient in room 302. He's up on the third floor. It should be on your left once you get off the stairs."

"Thanks."

Corrin turned and walked to the stairs, frowning as she thought of the receptionist's attitude. It just wasn't right.

When Corrin entered the large room she's been directed to, she found it full of beds carrying the wounded. No sick people, they must have been put on another floor, but people with bandages and bloody rags next to them were in no way scarce.

At the opposite end of the room, by the window, Corrin could see two figures sitting upright, the only ones in the room not resting on a bed.

"Gunter! Beruka!"

Two heads turned at Corrin's shout, one sporting purple hair, and one blue. Corrin ran toward the two, her steps making a few of the room's other residents wake up at the noise. They went back to sleep as Jakob and Lalami passed them, finding nothing of interest and no relatives looking to see them.

"Lady Corrin, it's nice to see you again," Gunter remarked with a smile.

"We did as you asked," Beruka said immediately after, face blank except for a small hint of annoyance.

"Thank you two. So, what did the doctor say? Is he going to be okay?"

"It seems so. The doctor didn't even believe us when we explained how much blood he had lost and the original depths of his wounds, since Robin was in such fine condition when he arrived."

"Fine? Then does that mean he'll wake up soon?"

"Pardon, not exactly _fine_ , but fine in terms of someone as injured as Robin should be. What I mean is the doctor admitted Robin as a patient in far better health than we originally assumed him to be, although still not one in good condition."

Corrin sighed. "Ah…"

"Worry not, Lady Corrin. I'm sure that Robin will be back to his regular self soon enough. Even now, less than a day later, he looks remarkably better than the last we saw him. So don't dispair, as I'm sure he will be ready to leave in a few days time," Jakob assured. Corrin wasn't sure if he was being genuine or exaggerating, but she appreciated his optimism.

"Is that him? He seems like a fine young man," Lalami observed, looking down at Robin on the bed.

He wasn't as pale as he had been the day before, sure, but he still wasn't back to his regular complexion. It was hard to tell much about his condition based off appearance, since everything from his neck down was covered by a blanket. But his face was peaceful, and not contorted in pain, which was a relief. Maybe that was because he was in such a deep state of unconsciousness that he couldn't feel pain though. Well, if he was, Corrin was going to ignore it. If even Jakob was faking optimism, she would too.

Speaking of Jakob, he was looking back at the entrance to the room with a strange expression.

"Is everything all right, Jakob?"

"Yes, Lady Corrin. I was just thinking that I would leave you for a moment, so you could have some private time with Robin. Is that acceptable?"

"Totally! I'm not going to trap you here! I'll be waiting for you to come back, so don't take _too_ too long, if you can help it."

"Of course, milady. If you will." Jakob gave a bow and walked away, boots clicking on the floor each time they hit. Even in such a situation, he was so proper…

"I suppose we should take our leave as well," Gunter said, standing. "As we came straight to the clinic last night, we aren't aware of where your house is, so could you please guide us there, miss?"

Lalami smiled. "Yes, I can. My name is Lalami, by the way." She turned toward the door, and began walking away. Gunter and Beruka followed. "What names do you two go by?"

"I'm Gunter, and my companion is Beruka. It's an honor to be…" Gunter's voice faded away as the three of them walked out of the room, losing volume with distance until Corrin couldn't hear him anymore.

So, it was just her and Robin.

Just Corrin, and Robin, and a room full of strangers she didn't know that could overhear what she said and report it to Nohr.

…Hopefully they wouldn't do that. Most of them were sleeping anyway.

"So." Corrin looked at Robin's face, blank because of his resting state. "I don't know where to begin. I guess I could start with an 'I'm sorry.'

"I know it may seem silly for me to say 'sorry', since I'm not the one who hurt you, but I feel like I need to say it anyway. I've put so much stress on you over these last few weeks. These last few months, almost. Not quite, but it will be soon. Because you're so smart, I've put so much on your back. I saw how much better than me you seemed to be, and I used you as a way to keep from bearing responsibility myself.

"But you're not all that much better off than me. You don't know anything more about the world than me. Well, at least you didn't when you first woke up. From all the stuff we found in your room on the ship, it looks like you've done a lot of research, so you probably know way more than me now. Er, anyway, at the beginning I probably knew more about the world than you. Even if I was sheltered, I'd heard stories from Jakob and Gunter and Felicia and Flora and all my siblings who'd come visit me. I got to go to Hoshido and listen to the Queen herself, and hear the words of an entire different royal family and their retainers. No matter how limited my knowledge was, it was better than yours. But that didn't stop me from acting as if you knew way more than me, and could better deal with the situation at hand. You took it in such stride, too. Was that really because you liked it, or because you felt bad for me? Or because you just saw how incompetent I was?

"I mean, it was probably a mix. With how you've been trying to teach me some of your strategies, and how you're gradually giving me control of the troops, it can't be that you think I'm a complete dunce. Plus, Jakob and Kaze have done a pretty good job of convincing me that I'm better than I take myself for. You'd probably hi-five them at that, huh?

"And you always get such a wide smile when you come up with the day's battle plans, so you have to be having at least some fun when you're doing tactics. You beat me in that aspect for sure. I love fighting with a passion, because it's so exhilarating, but trying to strategize is so worrisome because I'm scared I'll mess up and that someone will get hurt or die because of me. Do you have that worry, too? You seem cool on the outside whenever you make your plans. Cool or a little bit angry with whatever's going against you. Cool, angry, and confident. Like you know what you have planned is going to lead to victory one way or another, as if failing to succeed is impossible. Not in a cocky way most of the time, but in a way that I can't help but feel you've got a lot of experience under your belt. Which still doesn't make sense, since you don't look too much older than me. There's no way we're more than 5 years apart, but I don't know of any big battles that have gone on in my lifetime that you could have participated in. And even if some did, you're so young it's kind of scary to think you could have that much experience. Why would someone your age, and probably my age when we started, have to battle to the extent they become as good at it as you are? What kind of world would that be?

"Hm. That may not actually be that great of a question. After all, I'm my own age, and I'm at war right now. Sakura is younger than my own age, and she's at war right now. Elise is even below _that_ age, and she was at the battle right before we found you, so she's surely at war right now too. That's really sad. They're just kids, they should be at home playing with their friends. Or learning foreign policy, since they're princesses. But definitely not entering battlefields with the intent of either killing others, or endlessly healing allies so they can go kill others.

"What do you think?

"From what you described of your memories, or dreams, or whatever they were, that happened in your war too. Something about your best friend's little sister, and a young villager you picked up along the way. I think you mentioned a mage and a troubadour too? But you did say they were older than Sakura and Elise. So I guess this place is even worse than wherever you came from, aye?"

Robin's sleeping figure didn't reply.

"Ah, but that's sad. I should get to telling you about Lalami! Oh no, but I should start with what happened last night first, since that was absolutely adorable. Okay, so Sakura was really cold right? So she was shivering under this tree, Subaki and Hana at her sides…"

* * *

"And I need four, no, six cases of your best stock of it. Can you- er, no, I mean, you have to do that. Bring it to me this instant, by the King's orders!"

A familiar voice commanded some random nurse on duty to fetch her supplies as Jakob walked down the hall, gaining volume as he approached. He had caught a piece of it as he and Lady Corrin had walked to Robin's floor, and again as they stood by his bed, so the butler left to see if it belonged to who he thought it did.

And sure enough, there was Felicia, flanked by two Nohrian soldiers who looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there. Just behind her was a diminutive girl dressed in the garb of a poor villager, her cheeks dusted by both dark freckles and a slight blush. The flowers in her hair had wilted slightly, a sign that she'd been traveling for a while without a break to collect new ones. By the looks of it the girl had been forced along, and Jakob felt a momentary twinge of pity. It quickly faded though, as she was unimportant, and his attention was shifted to where Felicia stood staring at the hall the nurse had gone down.

"Felicia?" Jakob called, grabbing the maid's attention.

"Uuaah?!" Felicia cried, flailing about and tripping as she tried to identify the source of the noise. The little girl with freckles caught her, with a quick word of 'Careful!' as she moved the maid back on her feet.

"Really, have you gotten even more clumsy since we last saw each other? Hmph, to think I expected more of someone such as you. I at least didn't imagine you would get even _worse_. But here you are, proving me wrong in the most terrible way." Jakob walked forward until he was right in front of Felicia, the maid's eyes widening in response.

"J-J-J-Jakob! What are you doing here!?"

"I think I could ask the same of you."

"Well uh, you see, the king needed some medicine for.. Uh, well he didn't tell me, but he needed some regardless, so he sent me down here to get it. I mean, first he sent me down to this one village to collect what they had, but by the time I got there it was overrun with Faceless for some reason and she was the only one I could save, so we had to come here to get the medicine since their stockroom had burned down, and well…" Felicia's eyes started watering, and Jakob sighed.

'Overrun with Faceless, huh? I can't help but feel that was on purpose. Really, what is the king planning now? To destroy an entire town just to get some medicine? And then to be so careless that there isn't even any left after the damage has been done!'

"Oh, don't feel so bad, Miss Felicia! There ain't nothin' more you coulda done 'bout it! You done your best, and that's what matters! I shoulda been the one t'a done more, if ya ask me.

"...Maybe if I'da been a teeny bit faster, Ma and Pa'd still be here," the girl said.

Her accent made Jakob's eyes widen. That wasn't something found on the west side of the border. Had the king seriously destroyed a _Hoshidan_ village to get himself medicine, and then sent a lone maid (and possibly the two guards, if they were with her at the time) to rummage through the destruction to get what he wanted? Jakob was used to hearing tales of the travesty the king inflicted on his own people. But to do it to those on the side of Hoshido meant he was getting bolder. Jakob would have to inform everyone as soon as they regrouped.

"Medicine, huh? Then what are the soldiers for? Ensuring you get it?"

"Pretty much! I tried to say I could go on my own but the higher ups wouldn't have it. It's not so bad though, they're actually kind of funny. Right guys?"

The two soldiers kept silent.

"See? Trying to keep such straight faces, they're big clowns. But you can't get the best of Felicia!" the maid cheered, smiling.

The villager giggled at that, and Jakob sighed.

"You know, that nurse is taking a terribly long time to return. You wouldn't suppose she's run off, would you, gentlemen?" Jakob addressed the soldiers with his comment, and they looked between each other. Holding up a stare, Jakob kept his head in their direction until the two came to some sort of conclusion and left to find the nurse, leaving Jakob alone with the two women.

"Now that they're out of the way… Felicia, have you heard anything from your sister lately?"

"Sort of? I mean, we spoke a little bit ago, but that was before she left with Lady Camilla, since I left before she got back. Does that count as soon?" The maid had a puzzled look on her face.

"Well then. I don't know if that makes things more difficult, or less so." Jakob cleared his throat. "As you know, the Ice Tribe and Nohr do not have the best of relations."

A nod from Felicia.

"Apparently the king threatened the Ice Tribe into participating in the battle against Lady Corrin, and-"

"Wait wait wait," Felicia butted in, "what do you mean the battle against Lady Corrin!? We're fighting Lady Corrin? But, why?"

Jakob resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as he corrected Felicia. "No, not _we_. The king and his dastardly henchmen are. Hopefully _we_ will be fighting on Lady Corrin's side. As in the both of us.

"Currently, Lady Corrin is somewhere in this hospital, visiting one of her comrades that was injured in the battle with Lady Camilla. Elsewhere in the town are Lady Camilla herself, as well as her retainers, two members of the Hoshidan royal family, several of their retainers, and a former princess of Nohr kidnapped in a parallel situation to Corrin named Azura. Gunter is also nearby, if you want to talk to him."

Felicia let out a long breath. "Whoa, that's a ton of people! And from Hoshido too? That's… that's… how did you do that?"

"Actually, it's not a lot of people," Jakob said while narrowing his eyebrows. "Compared to the mights of the Hoshidan and Nohrian armies, our forces are diminutive. We need all the help we can get. So will you join us, Felicia? I know you've sworn your life to Lady Corrin just as I have, and just as your sister has, so it would only be right for you to return to her side. As we speak, Flora is either en route to your home village, or in the process of evacuating everyone to escape King Garon's wrath. Nothing waits for you in Nohr. So, what do you say?"

Jakob put a hand on his hip and looked Felicia up and down. The maid had clenched hands pressed tightly against the front of her skirt, fingers tense enough that her knuckles had turned white. She also had a very determined look on her face, one so ridiculously intense that Jakob had to fight back a smile. The girl could be amusing when she wasn't breaking dishes or staining sheets or causing other messes that he had to clean up.

"I say I'll join you! I've been so worried about Lady Corrin; to hear she's right here and okay is great! Plus, if the king really is threatening the village so much that Flora and Father and everyone else have to evacuate, then there's no way I'm going to fight for him anymore. So, do I have to do something to sign up? Or cacnMozu and I - that's the girl with me - just come with you?"

"Just follow me. Lady Corrin would surely like some alone time with the companion she is visiting at the moment, and it would not be polite to disturb her. You'll have to wait a moment before you two can reunite, but you two will be able to speak soon," Jakob answered.

Felicia smiled, and have a short giggle. Then a soft voice spoke up behind her.

"Uh, Mister Butler, I 'eard what you two folk were sayin' 'bout your group an' the Nohr king and all that stuff there, an' I was wonderin'... Could I maybe come with y'all too? My village was destroyed by the king too, and I don't got nowhere to go if I can't be with Miss Felicia here," Mozu asked, looking down.

Jakob sighed. Her accent was annoying - he'd have to remedy that before she spoke to Lady Corrin and offended her with any shortened words or incorrect grammar.

Lady Corrin probably wouldn't care, if he was being honest, and would likely find it cute, but he had standards. Her accent would not stand.

Felicia suddenly jumped, startling Jakob. "Wait wait, what about the soldiers that came with me? Can they join too, or do they have to go back to Nohr?"

Jakob thought about it for a moment, and told Felicia his plan: "Have them go back. They aren't trustworthy. Plus, we need something to keep Nohr sated for a little while. You're here for medicine, are you not? Give the soldiers something herb-like and instruct them to bring it back to the castle with orders to deliver it to whoever is in charge of the storeroom at the moment. Keep the actual medicine for yourself, because our group may need it at some point, and I'm sure whoever is requesting it at the castle doesn't really need it. They were willing to destroy a village to get it, which means they were okay with it getting destroyed in the process. Tell the two soldiers that you met up with someone who knew of a place that could get you cheaper, better medicine, and that you decided to go with them to see if what they spoke of was true. Say that you will take the villager with you because girls have to stick with girls, or however you would phrase it. I'm not sure if that will buy us any time, or if it will immediately alert the castle to our presence, but… It seems good enough for now. What do you say?"

"Well," Felicia started, blinking rapidly, "I say that's a lot to remember. But I think I've got it. Where should I meet you when I'm done?"

"There's a house to the east bordered on three sides by forest, with red and purple shingles and windows, as well as a small rock garden in the front. It's the largest one in the area, and in significantly better condition than those around it. Knock at the door and say your name. Either one of our group or an old woman named Lalami will answer you and let you in."

"Thank you, Jakob."

"My pleasure, Felicia. It was nice seeing you again. Now then, I'll be off. Take care."

"Take care!"

Jakob left to go back the way he came, pausing before he entered the room where Robin and Corrin were.

Corrin was saying something to Robin, though the man still appeared to be unconscious. She was likely spilling her heart out to the man. Jakob couldn't help but feel jealous at the sight. He had known Corrin for so much longer, yet she still turned to this new companion when overwhelmed. It was _his_ duty as her personal servant to listen to her woes and comfort her, not Robin's. But if that was what his mistress wanted, then he wouldn't interfere. His primary duty was to make her life as pleasant as possible, and if she preferred speaking to a new man who couldn't respond, Jakob would let her be.

* * *

"I mean, as much as I like Orochi, it was kind of weird for her to offer me a bath you know? Because I'm a grown woman! Or, well, maybe not a grown woman, but I'm certainly not a child. And-" Commotion from outside the hospital caused Corrin to pause and look outside the window to get an idea of what was going on.

"What!?"

On the street were several armed men and woman, arguing with someone that looked like a nurse. Corrin couldn't make out what they were saying, but they looked violent.

And violent they were, because a second later a woman with an axe shoved the nurse to the floor and held her weapon to the downed nurse's cheek. Corrin couldn't tell what the axe woman was saying, but whatever it was had her companions laughing and the nurse shaking. A couple people screamed, causing the bandits to launch a few daggers in the directions of the noises.

The daggers hit an old man somewhere down the street, and he let out a low cry as he fell. Looking down his way Corrin realized there were armed forces scattered as far as she could see, holding people down and looting houses.

"Oh no…" she breathed.

Jakob ran into the room then, shooting her a question with his voice full of alarm: "What's wrong Milady? Have you been injured? I heard screams, what's going on?!"

He leaned out the window for a second, taking in the scene for a moment before backing away.

"Milady, the bandits are armed well, and we're alone. The rest of our group is scattered around town, meaning we don't have reliable backup, so I suggest we-"

Corrin interrupted him. "You have your daggers on you, right? I have the Yato with me, so we should at least be able to protect the nurses here. Let's go!"

Jakob stood still for moment, shocked, but quickly moved to follow Corrin. "Lady Corrin, please, wait! You're not wearing armor! What it you get attacked! You're not properly defended!"

Ignoring what Jakob had said, Corrin continued to make her way to the entrance of the building, only pausing when Felicia called out to them.

"Hey, is that you, Lady Corrin? What's the big rush?" the maid asked.

"Felicia?" Corrin said, blinking, "What are you doing here? Oh, nevermind that. Can you fight? Some bandits outside are harassing the nurses and attacking the townspeople, and I'm going to stop them. If you could help, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Felicia nodded. "Of course! But wait, what about Mozu?"

The brown haired girl was still at the maid's side, looking scared.

"She can stay near the entrance, where she can see what's going on and run upstairs if she needs to."

"Sounds good. Mozu?"

"A-alright ma'am. If ya think I should, then I will."

The four made their way to where Corrin had seen the axe woman threatening the nurse, and when they arrived, Jakob immediately covered Mozu's eyes.

"Oh my... What… we're… What did they do!? Why!?"

Corrin stood in shock, looking at the sight before her. The nurse she had seen earlier, as well as two Nohrian soldiers, had been beheaded, their faces cut as to be unrecognizable.

"What's going on?" Mozu asked from behind Jakob's hand, trying to move it to see.

"Nothing you should see, young woman. It's… gruesome."

"I don' care!" she yelled, wriggling free of Jakob's hand, "I saw ma Ma's and Pa's and all ma other friends' bodies already when them Faceless destroyed our town. I ain't got nothing left to see worse than that!"

The villager then set her eyes on the three corpses. Her voice caught in her throat.

"Mozu..." Felicia whispered, moving to hold the girl's hand.

"I…"

"Incoming!" Jakob yelled, throwing a dagger at a mercenary who had run their way. A few of the bandits had been alerted to their position, and were making their way over.

"Mm. Mozu, stay back. Felicia, Jakob, and I will protect you!" Corrin charged forward, Yato held in a tight grip.

"Tch!" she grunted, swinging the blade down at the mercenary who had met her first.

The man jumped to the side once he saw it coming, managing to avoid getting hit across the chest. The Yato wasn't short though, nor was it moving slowly or with little power, so it still caught him, slicing into his left shoulder. The slice cut deep. As the metal made itself through flesh, the man screamed, loosening the grip on his sword.

"Ask for mercy and I'll give it to you!" Corrin proposed, standing above the man with Yato at his throat.

The man growled. "You… you… bastard!"

He used his right arm to cut up toward Corrin, thrusting his sword toward her side. She easily got out of the way though, frowning. "I gave you a chance. I'm sorry." Corrin then used the heel of her boot to kick the man in the forehead, since he was hunched over from the force of his swing and easily in range. He collapsed at the contact, and stayed still.

"Felicia," Corrin asked, finding the maid picking her dagger out of an unconscious fighter. "Could you heal this guy after you're done with that one? I don't want him to suffer permanent injury or bleed to death. I'm going to go off that way, so I'll see you then!"

Corrin gave a quick wave and went the way she had pointed, engaging a woman holding a spear. "Take _this!"_

Felicia blinked, and then kneeled to follow Corrin's orders.

"Wait," Jakob said, putting a hand in the maid's shoulder, "don't heal them all the way. I know Lady Corrin said to heal them so they didn't have any permanent injuries, but I don't think that's the best decision. If we do that, then they'll never learn. They'll keep pillaging and killing until they're dead. So use your staff to close their wounds, but do no more. If they're hurt badly enough to lose use of an arm or leg, then they'll never be able to fight again, which is optimal."

"Uh," Felicia started, looking from the downed man in front of her, to Jakob, to the man, to Jakob again. "Doesn't that sound a little… mean? Like something the king might do?"

Jakob took in a breath. "Yes, it does. But… Corrin isn't the main tactician of the army. A man you've yet to meet is, and these are his orders. Loath as I am to say it, he holds more authority than Corrin in this situation. Even if he is unconscious and half dead." Jakob muttered the last sentence, quiet enough that Felicia wasn't fully sure if she had heard correctly. Felicia wasn't able to ask for clarification though, as he moved to throw some more daggers at a woman with a hand axe that was targeting a nurse who had gone outside the hospital to see what was going on.

So, the maid sighed, and got to work healing the men until their wounds had closed and try weren't in danger of dying of their injuries. But only until that point, even if she wanted to do more. She had no idea why some new guy would hold more authority than Corrin, and why Jakob would hold their word above his own mistress', but she trusted him and would listen to what her co-worker said.

* * *

"Haah!" Corrin breathed, stabbing the Yato into a bandit's sword arm.

Said man dropped his weapon and fell to the ground, holding the injury with his good hand.

Corrin then knocked him out, giving him a quick apology as she kneeled down to tie a piece of cloth from the bottom of the man's shirt just above the wound so it wouldn't bleed too badly. It wasn't great, but it would keep him alive until he was healed. Hopefully.

"Really, why do people have to-"

"Damn you!" someone screamed from behind Corrin, causing her to turn around.

Rushing toward her was another woman with an axe. It was above her head and glistening with blood. Corrin froze.

"Wh-"

"Die!"

The woman swung down, Corrin managing to get the Yato up in time to keep herself from being bisected, but not fast enough to fully avoid the blow. The force from the connection of the axe and the Yato knocked Corrin back, causing her to take a few steps to regain her balance.

She was still standing in front of the man she had just downed, though, and tripped over his body.

"No-!" the princess cried, having dropped Yato as she fell.

"..." the axe woman said nothing as she prepared to swing again, Corrin lying helplessly on the ground.

She never managed to raise the weapon to full height, however, as a lance pierced through her chest when the axe was halfway up.

The woman let out a gurgle and dropped the thing, looking back toward whoever had stabbed her. Her attacker then withdrew the weapon and slashed at the woman's back, making her fall to the ground.

With the axe woman's body out of the way Corrin was able to see her savior: a bloody, wheezing villager with twin tails and freckles.

"Mozu!?" Corrin choked out, breathing heavily. When had the girl started following her? And since when did she have a lance?

"Miss Corrin, I saw you runnin' off all by yerself and I was real worried, so I chased after your behind. I saw you were 'bout to get hit, so I hit the girl instead, 'cause I didn't think Miss Felicia'd be real happy if I'dda let you get hurt. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"Aw, great! I helped ya, then? You jest made my day Miss Corrin!"

"Uh…" Corrin wasn't sure what to say to that. "I'm glad. That I made you happy. And that you saved me. I. Uh. Where did you get that lance, by the way?

"This thing here? I took it from one uh those soldiers o'er there. The ones that got their heads chopped off.. I know it ain't real nice, and that it might make their spirits mad, but I thought that it'd be better ta help you, because you're still livin' an' I'm still livin', so we're more important for the moment. That sound okay to ya? I'll return it if yer too worried 'bout it, Miss."

"No, that's fine. You keep doing that, Mozu. It was a real help. But, from now on, can you please be more careful? I know you didn't have a choice there, but when you do, please try to keep from killing anyone. I'm trying to get through this with the fewest deaths possible if I can."

"Oh, of course, Missie! I don' like killin' people, 'cause they ain't done nothin' wrong to me, an' even if they have it's better not ta make their spirits mad or take the life of anyone who don't deserve it. But I'll protect you if I gotta, because I owe Miss Felicia my life, an' she said to treat you better than I treat her!"

"Okay. Then let's get going, I think I heard another scream down toward that house."

"On my way, Miss!"

The two went in the direction Corrin had indicated. When they arrived, they found Saizo and Rinkah battling a dark mage-wyvern rider pair. Rinkah had a large black mark across her exposed stomach, likely the result of a hit the mage had landed on her. She was still fighting with full force though. Her club made contact with the left wing of the wyvern, causing its rider to jerk his mount toward the sky and out of Rinkah's range. She cursed as the mage, sitting behind the wyvern rider, cast another spell in her direction. Saizo threw a shuriken toward where the spell had come from, scoffing when a small cry sounded when the shuriken embedded itself somewhere in the mage's body.

"Do you need any help?" Corrin asked the two, grabbing their attention.

Saizo was the first to respond. "Corrin? No, we're fine. Help the group down the road."

Rinkah followed: "Yeah, we've got this! Just give us two minutes and we'll be standing on Nohrian heads! See ya in a bit!" She waved Mozu and Corrin on.

Corrin looked back to Mozu, who just shrugged. "Wherever we gotta go, we gotta go."

"I guess," Corrin chuckled, continuing on to where Saizo had said, "but at this rate I feel like the battle's going to be over by the time we make it to somewhere we can actually fight with all this running!"

Mozu giggled in response, (if her panting laugh could be considered a giggle) and readied her lance.

Corrin spotted a group of three bandits a moment later. Two were sword wielding mercenaries, and the third was an outlaw with a bow.

"Oh man, that's not good," she whispered to herself. Neither she nor Mozu had a ranged weapon, and they both were lacking armor. Had she not changed into the dress Miss Mimi had given her, she'd have been okay running in and taking an arrow since it probably would only dent her armor at most. But she was in a thin dress, so any arrows that hit her would actually hit _her_ , not just stop at what she was wearing.

"Miss Corrin? What's wrong?" Mozu snapped Corrin out of her thoughts.

"Well, you see the guy with the bow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well if we just charge in he'll have us full of holes before we even make our way over. So we have to find some way to get to them without drawing his attention."

"Aw, right. Well, whaddya propose we do?"

"Well…" A strangled cough made Corrin look over to see one of the mercenaries had a man by the throat, and was pushing him against the wall of a nearby house. "While they're distracted with that guy, and oh man this sounds bad, but while they're distracted with that guy, we can sneak through the gardens of the houses on the other side. That way they won't see us until we're right behind them."

"That sounds alright ta me. But Miss, be careful that you don' step in any of them plants in the gardens. They're the people's lives, an' if they don't got any plants, then they don't got any food and they don't got any lives."

Corrin nodded. "Got it."

The two then made their way through the gardens as Corrin said, being careful not to show themselves through the openings in the houses while the bandits were looking their way.

'I'm really sorry, whoever you are, but I can't just charge in there. I want to save you, but if I run in too fast then I'll get shot and I'll never be able to get them to let you go. Please don't die before I make it there, please…'

Sneaking through the gardens wasn't as difficult as Corrin had imagined, since the bandits were thoroughly distracted with the man they were tormenting. So, two minutes later Corrin and Mozu were hiding behind a fence directly in line with the bandits, weighing their options.

"We could charge right in, but we risk the outlaw catching on and shooting us. Our footsteps would be too loud if we ran, and creeping would be too dangerous since the street is wide open," Corrin told Mozu.

The villager humed. "Then what if we get the outlaw man outta the picture? If we hurt his bow arm, then he can't stick us with any of them arrows of his."

"Good idea!" Corrin cheered, smiling. "But," Corrin's smile dropped, "how would we do that? We don't have any ranged weapons."

"I reckon I could throw this here lance."

"Mozu!? Are you sure?"

"Well I'm used to a naginata for one, which is a lot longer than this here thing, and this lance is shorter than a regular one if what I know 'bout them is right. It's pretty light too. It might be a throwing lance, actually! I don't got the best arm, buy I can throw far enough to hit mister outlaw over there."

"That sounds good, but what about after you throw it? You'll be left unarmed!"

"Well, there's a shed right to our left. I'll bet there's a hoe in there I could use to bash a leg or two while you got them guys all busy with you. How 'bout it?"

"Mm. I guess, Mozu. But be careful."

"Of course, Miss!"

"Just say Corrin, Mozu. We're friends, right?"

"But we just met, Miss!"

"Do you not want to be friends?"

"Naw, I'd love to-"

"Guaahh!" the man pushed up against the wall screamed again.

"Well, no time for that Corrin. I'll grab my hoe. You get ready in place!" Mozu said, running in the shed.

Corrin nodded in response, and looked forward.

The man had blood running down his face, and his arm looked broken. He was panting hard. One of the mercenaries, the one not holding him against the building, leaned in to the injured man's ear and whispered something to him. The man whimpered, and Corrin felt guilty. His arm hadn't looked so bad earlier. If she had just been a little faster, then maybe he wouldn't have been in so much pain and been hurt so badly. But she didn't have a choice. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't just run in there. It was important to come up with a plan and figure out how to go the safest route.

After the battle in Izumo where Robin took the Nosferatu for her because of her reckless charge, she learned how important it was to wait. Sometimes charging worked, but sometimes it just led to more people getting hurt, and could even compromise victory. She wasn't exactly sure of what the difference between charging and not charging would be in the situation she found herself in, but from what she could tell sneaking around was the better option, so sneak she did.

A quiet voice made Corrin turn then: "Hey, Corrin, are you ready?"

Mozu was at her side, equipped with what Corrin figured was a hoe. The princess had never visited a farm, at least not in the time she could remember, so she'd never seen one. That was something she'd have to ask Mozu about later, since being so clueless made her feel sort of entitled.

"Okay, I'll open the latch on the gate. Now, I want you to throw on '3'."

"1."

"2."

"3!"

Mozu launched her lance at the outlaw, as Corrin charged forward, Yato ready. The bandits heard the whistling of the lance as it flew, and started to turn when it hit the outlaw in the shoulder, making him drop his weapon.

"Damn-!" The man cursed, holding his shoulder for a moment. He ripped the lance out. When he saw Corrin moving toward him, he pulled a dagger from his belt and went toward her, ducking under the Yato's blade and aiming to hit her in the stomach.

Mozu was ready for the hit though, having sprinted up behind Corrin with her hoe held low. She swung at the outlaw's dagger hand, knocking it back just enough to keep him from hitting Corrin.

The outlaw cursed under his breath again when he was hit, straightening himself just to be kicked full force by Corrin's new boot.

'You know, that hurts a lot less when I have footwear. Maybe this shoe thing isn't so bad…'

The man hit the road hard, head knocking up dust when it made contact with the dirt. Mozu smacked him a little to make sure he was unconscious, moving her hoe back up into fighting position.

"Damn vigilantes! You just couldn't leave us be, could you. If you had just left us alone, then no one would have to get hurt. But now Brunson is all messed up, and you're gonna have to get the same done to you!"

The mercenary holding the townsperson dropped the man in favor of having a two handed grip on his sword (a broadsword? Oh man, she didn't even know the names of swords? Xander would be so disappointed), and his partner picked up a wooden shield he'd put down earlier.

"Ha!" Shield-mercenary ran to Corrin and Mozu's left, while broadsword-mercenary went to their right.

Corrin looked to Mozu. "Separate?"

Mozu nodded. "Seperate!"

Corrin, having the sharper weapon, went for shield-mercenary. The wood looked like it was degrading, and it was warped in several places. It was also pretty dinged up already, bearing several large gashes, one of which ran straight through the middle. Breaking it wouldn't be hard. Either the Yato could slice straight through (which Corrin was _pretty_ confident it could do, but not fully), or it could smash the thing down.

Corrin grunted, stabbing forward. The mercenary lifted his shield in response. The two met for a short second, before a heavy creak sounded. A split second later, the shield was pushed almost to the halfway point of Yato's blade, and the tip of the Yato was making light contact with the mercenary's shoulder.

"Fffffaaa!" shield-mercenary cried, jerking back. The jerk dragged Corrin forward.

The Yato hadn't sliced the shield clean in half like Corrin was hoping, and it hadn't shattered the wood. Instead it made a large crack and went through, spearing the man's hand in the process.

Corrin pulled back, trying to free the Yato, but her attempts didn't work. The mercenary was still trying to move back, so his hand slid further down the blade, but he was still stuck in the end, and the shield was still stuck in the middle.

Corrin stared at it for a moment, only moving when she saw a blade moving for her head.

'Damn! I forgot about his sword!'

The Yato was still stuck in the man's hand and shield, so Corrin had to let go in order to dodge. Her dodge wasn't perfect though, and she got a long cut across her cheek. It stung like crazy, and Corrin was pretty sure the man hit bone, but she didn't have time to check. (Not that she wanted to. Poking it would hurt.) So, she looked around for some sort of replacement weapon.

The outlaw was close by, and still had his dagger, so Corrin leapt for it when the mercenary tried to hit her again. She rolled over the outlaw's body when she landed, picking up his dagger in the process. Corrin lifted the dagger to meet the shield-mercenary's swings, crazy but less powerful thanks to the pain he was feeling in his hand, and the extra weight he had on his left side from the Yato-shield combination.

She let the mercenary drive her back with each step, careful to keep her footing and trying desperately not to miss a block. With just a few more steps…

The mercenary tripped, his swing too wide for the weight he was carrying to keep his balance. As he fell forward Corrin stabbed the dagger into the man's shoulder and took one last jump back, grabbing the lance that Mozu had thrown earlier. She was no lance wielder, that was for sure, but she knew how to hold one, at the very least. Xander had Siegfried, and as such hardly ever used lances, but he still knew how, and had tried several times to teach Corrin how to as well. She wasn't very good with them, if she was going to be honest, but she didn't have any options. It was using a lance or flailing about wildly as she tried not to die.

"Sorry!" Corrin slammed the lance back into the shield, barely avoiding hitting the Yato.

The man screamed at the contact, the lance having also broken through the wood and stabbed itself back into the man's hand.

Corrin shouted in frustration. "Oh, come on!"

She settled for kicking the screaming man, knocking him down one last time. He was hunched over, shaking, tears running down his face, and Corrin felt terrible. He was violent and cruel, that was certain, but making him suffer like he was was excessive. It was cruel on her part. And she didn't want to sink to his level.

Corrin kicked the man in the head, making his face hit the ground. He started getting back up though. Evidently, he hadn't been knocked out. With a gulp, Corrin gave another kick, this time having her heel meet his temple, and the man finally fell into unconsciousness.

To her side Mozu was keeping her distance from the broadsword mercenary, occasionally whacking him with the end of her hoe.

"Yeaw!" The villager cried, getting the man in the leg.

He fell, letting go of the sword with one of his hands in order to steady himself when he made contact with the ground. Mozu used the opportunity to bring her hoe down on the wrist of the hand that the man still had on the sword. He drew his hand back with a yelp.

Corrin had made her way behind the man at that point, and kneed the man in the base of his neck. He slumped forward, unconscious.

"Haah, haah," Corrin was exhaling hard, trying to catch her breath from the fight. Mozu was doing much the same.

"Where'd… hah, where'd yer sword go, Corrin?" the villager asked.

Corrin pointed over to where the other mercenary was, Yato still sticking up out of the shield.

Mozu made a noise of realization. "Oh. Well, you better try an' get that out, missie. I'll go help the man over there, an' see if I can heal him a bit. I got a couple vulneraries and some bandages that should do the trick."

"Sounds good."

Corrin went over to where the Yato was. She stuck a foot on the shield, pressed it to the ground, and pulled. The wood made a splintering sound, and there was a slight movement, but the Yato was thoroughly stuck.

"Come on, work with me here Yato, I need you…" if worst came to worst, Corrin could grab a saw from one of the nearby houses and try to saw the thing free, but she really didn't want to try that. That and she didn't know how receptive the villagers would be. They were all shut in because of the attacks, and she was a stranger wearing a bloody sundress. If she was the villager and someone dressed like her showed up to her door, she would probably keep it closed too.

Back at the house, Mozu was talking quietly to the man the mercenaries had been harassing. His arm was bent out of shape, and he still had blood on his face, but he was awake. Corrin couldn't make out what they were saying.

Corrin sighed, and looked up at the sky. "Really," she muttered, watching the clouds go by, "why do people do this? Raiding a village I get, because there are good shortages right now and people get hungry. But why attack the people, who haven't done anything wrong? Even if that man had tried to stop you from taking his food, at that point he wasn't fighting back any more. They would've killed him if Mozu and I hadn't come. Is Nohr really like this? Why are things so bad it had to come to this? Even in this place, which is sunnier than most of the region." Corrin tiltled her head back and reached toward the sun, feeling its warmth. "Even if it isn't as bright as Hoshido, there's still enough sunlight to grow-"

Suddenly a large crack sounded, and a glint filled Corrin's vision.

"Huh?"

The glint dimmed for a second, and Corrin could make out the source. It was the Yato, flying above her.

…

'Wait, what!?'

Corrin threw the hand that wasn't outstretched over her eyes, ducking to the side while keeping her outstretched hand up.

'I caught it when it did that in Hoshido, please don't stab me now, I caught it when it did that in Hoshido, please don't stab me now, I caught it...'

Sure enough the Yato landed safely in Corrin's hand, blade up and not stabbing her just as she wished.

Corrin let out a loud sight of relief. "Oh thank you, whoever it is that controls that. I was worried I was going to lose a finger or something."

"What the-!" Mozu exclaimed, eyes wide. "What- What was that!?" She rose to her feet and ran over to Corrin's side, looking the Yato up and down.

Corrin smiled. "Honestly?" Mozu nodded. "I have absolutely no idea. It just does that. Somehow."

Mozu stared at the sword and Corrin in awe, letting out a long "Woaaaahhhh" as her eyes shot from the blade to Corrin's face to the hilt to Corrin's hand and so on.

The sound of flapping drew her attention away, though, ending the cycle. Subaki was flying their way, Sakura riding behind him.

"Oh hey Sakura! Down here!" Corrin shouted, jumping up and down and waving her arms. "Do you have your rod? Some people are hurt!"

Subaki landed, and Sakura gave a nod of affirmation. She pulled out a sun festal and got to work on the injured townsperson, having Subaki set up a splint on the man's arm as she healed his head.

Sakura addressed the man as she worked: "How are you feeling, sir?"

"Okay, miss. Isn't… Isn't that a Hoshidan staff? And aren't those Hoshidan clothes? What are you doing on this side of the border?"

Sakura blushed. "O-oh, well, uh y-yes, it is, but, uh-" Subaki put a hand on her shoulder.

"It is, and they are. What we're here for you shouldn't worry about, but it's for your benefit. And right now L- excuse me, Sakura here is helping you out, so you should thank her, don't you think? Your arm is pretty badly injured, so you'll have to spend some time in a cast and will need to visit the hospital, but she's doing the best she can." The Sky Flyer gave a bright smile at the end of his words, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Y-yeah, I guess I should. Thank you kindly, miss, this is a real nice thing of you!" the man coughed out, glancing up at Subaki while he spoke to Sakura.

"You're welcome, sir, but it's nothing. I'm just glad that I could help."

Sakura continued talking to the man, Subaki at her side, and Corrin began to walk away. As she went back toward the hospital, Mozu ran up to her side.

Neither one said anything, walking back in silence. Remains of small fights could be seen throughout the town, with specks of blood and unconscious men and women lying all about. The two passed a few familiar faces, and Corrin called out in greeting, but they remained quiet for the most part. The battle that day was unexpected, and a lot different than the other ones they had fought up until then, but they had done okay, which was what mattered. The town was still standing, and her allies were in relatively good condition, so Corrin was satisfied.

* * *

"...then the Yato flew into my hand, just like it did back in Hoshido, and Sakura showed up. She got to healing the man the bandits had been attacking, so Mozu and I took off to come back here. On the way we met back up with Felicia, so Mozu went with her, and now it's just me. Everyone else is either fixing the damage, or resting up at Miss Mimi's place. So now it's just me.

"I took your words into account today, you know. I felt like it helped me, believe it or not. I got cut a bit, and it hurt, but I had a vulnerary, and I'm doing fine now. Well, as fine as I can be. I got some blood on Miss Mimi's dress, which I feel bad about, but it's not ripped, and I'm okay, which is what's the most important."

Corrin looked down at her hands, biting her lip. The sun was setting, and the nurses would probably send her away soon.

"I'm glad…"

Corrin's head jerked up. She hadn't said that.

"Robin!?" She immediately shot to her feet, looking down at Robin whose half lidded eyes were looking down at something on the ground. "Robin, you're awake? Oh thank the heavens, I'm so happy to see you're okay! I thought, I thought…" Corrin trailed off, crying. She wiped the tears away from her eyes as she bounced slightly, moved by the force of her sobs.

"Hah, no need to get so emotional…" Robin's voice was weak, but he chuckled anyway. "But really. I'm glad…"

Corrin moved her hand away from her eyes for a second to look at Robin. "About what?" Was he perhaps expressing how happy he was to see she was okay?

"I'm so glad… You finally got yourself a pair of shoes…"

'...'

"R-really Robin!? _That's_ what you're so glad about?!"

Robin laughed. "What, it's been a genuine concern of mine!"

Corrin groaned. "Ugh, there's no helping you, is there."

Robin continued to laugh, and a few seconds later Corrin joined him. She had to admit it, the shoes were useful. Maybe she would ask to keep them. But most of all, she was glad to see Robin was awake. After the long day she had had, it was a nice sight to see.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well. 2 months. And 3 days. I said it above already, I know, but here it is again. I still feel like my battle scenes aren't the greatest, so I'm not too confident in their quality, but it's been a while since we've had one so they have returned. Next chapter is where we'll get to the part I've been imagining since before I even started this fic, so get ready for that. I'm just hoping I'm able to write it as well as I can visualize it!**

 **And for the shoe thing. I've beenhinting at it for a while and it needed to happen. I just get a huge kick it of it, you know? Pun not intended for once.**

 **On a completely unrelated note, have any of you watched/read JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? I've been kind of obsessed these past two months. Did you know Jakob and Joseph share a voice actor? And Dio and Hector. And Japanese Niles and Japanese Dio. And so on. I've been reading the manga so I haven't heard much of it, but I've seen some anime clips and it's interesting.**

 **That's all for now. Hopefully I'll see you all before the end of June!**

 **EDIT JULY 30: By June I mean August 4. I'll try to have it out by then, since that's the 1 year anniversary.**

 **Originally posted May 30th, 2017. 10,632 words without Author's Note.**

 **Eruran out.**


	17. The Opera House - 1 Year Anniversary

**Author's Note: Holy cow you guys. It's been a year. Today is the one year anniversary of when I posted this story. Who would've thought I'd have managed to stick to one story for an entire year, that it would get to be over 150,000 words, and that it would get so popular? I originally expected this to be 100,000 words max, have maaaaybe 50 followers and faves max, and get maybe 10 reviews. But here we are a year later with 387 favorites, 571 follows, and 240 reviews. It's unbelievable, it's impressive, and it's so amazing I could cry.**

 **Thank you all so much. This means the world with me. But that's enough rambling, right? It's been a whole two months since I posted, so I should get a move on. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"So, where do we go now?" Robin asked, looking toward Corrin.

It had been three days since the battle with the bandits, and everyone had gathered in Lalami's house to plan their next move.

Robin had only been released earlier that day, and Corrin had told all the other members of the group that they weren't leaving until Robin was back on his feet for at least a couple hours. Unsurprisingly, very few of them were upset at their remaining in the village. Robin was probably the most antsy of the group, if only because he hated lying down for so long. He had things he could be doing, and lying down wouldn't get them done.

Corrin's response was to the point. "Well according to Saizo, there was news of Ryoma traveling to Cheve, so I was thinking we should head there next. He seemed like a reasonable guy when I met him, so I think we can convince him to join us. Or at the very least, even if he isn't very reasonable, I don't think he would attack his own family members. So as long as we bring along Takumi and Sakura, we should be able to talk to him for a little without being attacked, even if he doesn't want to be our ally. What do you think?"

"That sounds fine by me," Robin responded. They would need to talk to Ryoma eventually, and there was nothing wrong with doing it sooner rather than later. It was better to do it before they possibly did something he couldn't forgive them for, anyway, and since they hadn't, it was prime time to talk to the prince.

Camilla frowned at Corrin's words however. "He's going to Cheve, you say? Now?" Corrin nodded. "So is our older brother, Xander, last I checked. Or, he's going to Cyrkensia at least. The two are close enough that he and Ryoma might run into each other during their trsveks, What will happen if the two meet? Xander's never liked Ryoma, and after what happened in that field after the Hoshidans kidnapped Corrin, his dislike of Ryoma in particular has grown considerably. There's no way those two would be friendly if they met up. If they begin to fight, I doubt we'd be able to reason with them."

"That's a good point." Robin looked over the group in front of him. "Fighting would make it almost impossible to reason with either one of them.

"Thankfully, one of them will probably get there before the other, and we can use that time before the second's arrival to state our business. I know not all of us are used to travel, but if we want to prevent the inevitable chaos that will occur when the two crown princes meet, we should try to get there as fast as possible. That way we can talk before any fighting breaks out.

"And on another note, I'm sorry about not saying this sooner. If I'd known that Ryoma and Xander were so close to meeting, I'd have gotten out of the hospital-"

"No." Corrin interrupted Robin, looking at him with a furrowed brow. "There is no 'if you'd gotten out of the hospital sooner.' You would not have gotten out of bed. You were injured, and there is no way I'd just let you get up and hurt yourself more trying to travel before you're ready. I'm sure the others would agree, right?"

The rest of the group looked at each other and nodded or shrugged, a few members of the group like Saizo and Beruka staying still. Mozu and Sakura's (plus Subaki and Hana once they saw their liege's reaction) enthusiasm more than made up for it, though. It seemed the group really did like him. And the feeling was mutual - he'd be sad to leave them when that time came.

Robin sighed. "Yeah yeah, I get it. At this point all we can do is hurry. Does anyone know when the next boat for Cheve or Cyrkensia leaves?"

"Not for another week," reported Kagero. She sounded slightly disturbed, but kept a straight face. It made sense, since the longer they took to get to Cheve, the longer it would take for her to reunite with her liege.

Saizo kept a blank face throughout the conversation, but Robin could tell his separation from Ryoma was a weight on the male ninja's back too. He went from few words to no words, and a harsh glare to a more subdued, empty expression once Ryoma's name popped up in the conversation.

The week wait for the next ship was inconvenient though. "Really?" Robin asked. "Damn. That's not good. Camilla, and the rest of you who are from Nohr, do any of you know of any land routes that could take us there in a reasonable amount of time? I know we need to get to the port, but if there's any way for us to make it to Cheve or Cyrkensia faster than waiting for the boat would get us there, I'm all ears."

The few Nohrians in the group looked at each other, taking a moment to think about the landscape of Nohr and any possible ways to get to where they needed to go. After a moment, Beruka was the one to respond.

"There's a way that takes us through the theater district of Nestra."

"The theater district?" Robin was suddenly interested. A theater district sounded fun, and like a good place to collect information. Theater people loved to tell stories, and stories usually held relevant facts or rumors about current events.

"Oh yes!" Camilla exclaimed, a fond smile on her face. "My father used to take Xander, Leo, Elise and I there all the time. I was planning on taking Corrin to the next performance, since Father finally decided it was time to allow her outside of that dreadful fortress, but then all this stuff happened… Well, I guess this is my chance to then, isn't it!" She chuckled for a moment, giving Corrin a slight hug before continuing her explanation. "There's a large opera house in Cyrkensia, just north of the harbor. It's the time of year for the big performance, so we may be able to see the show. Xander didn't say exactly why he was going to Cyrkensia, but I feel it's related to that. If we stop by the Opera House before visiting the port, we may find him.

"The Opera House, though large, isn't really a good place to fight. It would also be full of civilians, so as long as Xander is the one there instead of Father, I doubt he'd initiate any sort of attack. Given how odd Father has been lately, I imagine he'd stay at home and work on army things, but I can't be sure. But if he isn't there, then Xander has always been about chivalry and morals; he wouldn't let any innocent people get hurt if he could prevent it."

"Then it sounds like going Beruka's way is our best bet. Can everyone be ready to leave in twenty minutes? We'll take a quick lunch before we go, but then we'll be off," Robin told the group.

The members of Corrin's army then dispersed, Jakob and Felicia heading to the kitchen while everyone else bar Beruka left to find their respective rooms and organize their things. Though they technically could have stayed in the Astral Plane and kept their things there, Corrin had asked everyone to stay the nights in Lalami's house instead. For one, it would be hard to explain the whole 'separate dimension' thing to the old woman. For another, it seemed to make the woman happy to have her house so full of people, so the group had just slept in her spare rooms instead.

Beruka hadn't moved when everyone else had, so Robin turned to ask her a question: "So, where exactly is this route you know going to take us? As I said earlier, not everyone in our group is used to hard travel. Could you give me an overview of where we're going, and what kind of terrain we're going to have to face?"

"..." Beruka said nothing.

"Uh, please?"

"I'm going to aid Lady Camilla. Goodbye." Beruka walked toward the stairs, leaving Robin dumbstruck.

'Oh come on, couldn't she have at least said 'no' rather than just ignoring me!?'

As much as Robin wished for Beruka to say _something_ , it was a different woman's voice that he heard next.

"Hm, what a quiet woman. I wonder what happened in her past to make her that way? Nothing I could ask her about without being a close companion, or maybe even nothing I could ask her about regardless of our relationship, I bet. I'll just be curious for the rest of my days, I suppose."

While Robin was watching Beruka go up the stairs, Lalami had managed to sneak up behind him, giving a comment that made him wonder too.

"Nice to see you Lalami. Did you manage to hear what I said, or would you like me to give you an overview of what we discussed?"

"An overview?" Lalami asked, tilting her head down while keeping her eyes on Robin, "I didn't know that was okay. I thought you military folk liked to keep your actions hidden. My husband would always go on about how his superiors ordered him to keep quiet about what they were planning and what they had done. Of course, he'd tell me anyway, because I was in a different country and couldn't do much about anything the Hoshidans had planned, but shouldn't the same reasoning apply here?"

"It should, and it does. Just as your husband trusted you wouldn't do anything to betray him or his allies, we trust that you aren't going to do anything like that against us either. You've been a great help these past few days. I know I wasn't around for the beginning, but Corrin and the rest really admire you. You seem like a perfectly honest and kind woman to me. I don't see any reason why not to speak around you. That and I'm not really sure how you would be able to tell on us, nor why you would want to expose our plans in the first place.

"Plus, I know how it can weigh on your mind when someone you care about or cared for suddenly disappears. It's terrible, if you ask me, because you're left wondering if you'll ever hear from someone again, or if their were captured, or killed, or whatever. If I have the time, I'll send you a letter when we get to Cyrkensia, so you know we arrived safely. How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful. Thank you, son. Kind people like you really bring hope to an old woman like me. It helps us know the future is in capable hands."

Robin laughed in response, Lalami joining in a moment later, but his internal thoughts differed from the laughter that made its way through his lips. 'Well, this future isn't really in my hands. I'll be leaving soon, if things go my way and I'm able to find a way home. So I won't have a chance to do much for the future after the time I spend here. But no one in Corrin's group went against my idea, so it means things should go well in their hands as well. I hope.'

"Oh, and one other thing!" He had almost forgotten, but Robin made sure to ask his question before he went upstairs to check if anyone needed help. "How are you feeling? Has the medicine helped at all?"

Lalami raised an eyebrow, looking at Robin like he was crazy. "Has it helped at all? Has it _helped_ at all? I haven't felt this good since I was 30! In these past three days I've gone from feeling like I could keel over any minute to feeling like I could go for a jog with one of those kids who always runs past my house in the morning! My cough is almost nonexistent now, which I have to thank both the medicine you got me and that sweet butler, Jakob for. If he's not too busy making lunch, I think I'll ask him for his tea recipe. That in itself is a miracle. I think drinking that alone on a daily basis would add five years to my life, even if I didn't have any medicine!"

"I'm glad to hear," Robin responded. "And you confirmed the deal with the hospital, right?"

He and Corrin had a long talk with the staff and director after the battle, striking up a deal where instead of their group getting money for their actions, Lalami would get the medicine and care she needed, and would never be refused service.

"That I would get my medicine free for the rest of my days as payment for the protection your group offered and their role in fighting off those bandits? Yes. Thank you for that, Robin. I don't know where I would be without you. No, I do know. I would be hanging with both feet in the grave, clinging on to the edge of the hole with a single hand. Thanks to your efforts, I'll be able to live long enough to see even my youngest daughter's wedding. If she gets married sometime in the next ten or fifteen years, that is. I don't think she has a boyfriend yet, but you never know. Love is a fickle thing."

Robin blushed at Lalami's comment, his face heating up. "Don't give me all the credit! Heck, don't give me any of the credit! I wasn't even awake until after the battle had ended!"

"Yes," Lalami conceded, "but none of this would have happened had it not been for you. You probably didn't have a fun time doing it, but your injury was what brought your group here. I don't know why you were hurt or what did it, but that injury was what brought your group to this town and saved our lives. I owe you. So if you ever need some advice from an old lady who's lived a long, long time, just send me a letter and tell me where to send my response. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Haha, yeah, getting injured was not really something I enjoyed, but I'm glad my injury helped someone, even if it wasn't me!"

The two laughed for a good minute, stopping when Lalami began to cough.

"Are you-" Robin began to speak, but was cut off by a wave of Lalami's hand.

"It's fine, son. It was impossible for me to be completely rid of an illness I've had for over almost two decades in just a few days. You go on then. I'm sure you have some things to check up on. I'll see you in a few minutes." She put a hand on Robin's cheek, making him blush slightly once again. Was this what having a grandmother felt like? It was kind of embarrassing, but in a sweet way. He would have to come visit her again.

Robin nodded under her touch, and Lalami left for the kitchen. He made his way upstairs, heading to check up on everyone like Lalami had said.

* * *

Three days later the group found themselves making their way through the streets of Cyrkensia, surprisingly not drawing much attention from the local populace. As Camilla had said, it was nearing time for the big performance at the Opera House, and the city was full of people from both sides of the border. That meant as long as they hid their weapons, hardly anyone batted an eye at their presence, since so many other foreigners were around. It worked in their favor, as asking questions just made them seem like curious tourists, rather than suspicious outsiders like in the other places they visited.

From asking around they discovered that neither Ryoma not Xander had arrived yet. Where Ryoma was the group didn't know, so Saizo and Kagero split off from the main group to find him. They were going to head for Cheve to see if Ryoma was still there, or to confirm that he had moved on. Camilla wasn't sure of the exact date not time when Xander was set to arrive, but knew he was coming eventually, so she and her retainers stayed with the main party. Or rather, she donned a cloak and only walked in the most busy parts of town where it was too crowded for anyone to rescue her, and stayed in the Astral Plane the rest of the time. The princess wasn't too happy about having to hide, but being recognized would put their entire group in danger, so she put up with it.

"So, what's next, now that we're here?" Corrin asked, looking to Robin for an answer.

"I'm not sure," he responded with a frown. "We could just hang out in the Astral Plane for the time being and send someone out every once in a while to check if anything interesting had happened. But I want to do something more. Just sitting around and waiting really isn't my style. Maybe if we keep searching around, we'll find some helpful information?"

Corrin nodded. "Sounds like a plan. So, where do you think we should go?"

"Well first thing first," Robin began, "if Xander really is coming to see the performance at the Opera House, the employees there would know about it. He's the crown prince of the biggest country on this side of the Bottomless Canyon, so they'd have been told in advance so they would put extra work into practicing their acts until they were as close to perfect as they could possibly be. They would probably know his arrival date, too. Or at least the day that he's set to watch the show, since that would be their deadline for perfecting their acts."

"How are we going to get to the performers, though? They're all staying in the rooms underneath the Opera House from what I understand, and don't really walk around the city in the days before the shows for fear of getting injured and being unable to perform." Azura's concern showed on her face, a frown creating small creases near her mouth and eyebrows.

Robin smiled. "Easy! We just have to get a performer to go in and talk to the others, and then go back out and report to us."

Azura's frown deepened. "And just how are we going to recruit a performer without going inside?"

Robin's smile deepened as well. "We don't need to recruit some random performer. We already have one!" Robin threw his arms forward, gesturing toward where Azura stood.

"M-me?" she asked, cheeks pink.

"Yup! You have an amazing singing voice, and from what I've seen, are a pretty impressive dancer as well. I have no doubt you'd be able to convince at least one guard that you're a late arrival who needs to get down to the performer's hall to prepare for your part of the show. And if anyone has any doubts, just call for us. You know the hotel that the few of us who aren't staying in the Astral Plane will be waiting at until it's time. We'll make sure to get you out of there as soon as possible. Dont worry."

"Of course. I'll do my best," Azure responded with a slight smile.

"Good luck!" Corrin cheered. She gave Azura a quick hug, and walked with her toward the Opera House. Even if she couldn't follow her inside, she'd at least walk her to the entrance.

* * *

After fifteen or so minutes of walking, Azura and Corrin found themselves near the front entrance to the performer's hall of the Opera House. There were a few guards standing on each side of the door, each with a determined look on their face, ready to intercept any troublemakers. The big performance of the year was in just a few days, and it was one of the biggest money makers of the area, so they had to make sure no one would interfere with any of the performers and thus mess up the performance itself.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Corrin told Azura. The two were holding hands, staring up at the complex details on the side of the building. It was impressive, and some of the most amazing architecture Azura had seen. Given how amazing the outside was, she could only wonder what she would see once she was inside the hall or on the stage herself.

"Um, excuse me?" a small voice called out from behind the two princesses, causing them to turn. "You wouldn't have happened to just come from Frete, would you?"

Azura didn't respond, cautious, and suspicious of why someone would know of such a thing.

Corrin instead responded for her. "We did, actually. Why do you ask?"

The girl perked up slightly, a smile on her face. "Oh, then it really is you, isn't it! Your name is Corrin, right? My mother sent me a letter about you and your friends. I just picked it up from the post office."

'Her mother?' Azura thought, realization dawning on her face. "Then you are-"

"Lalami's daughter, yes. Well, one of them. I'm the youngest, but I have sisters too. My name is Layla, it's a pleasure to meet you!" The girl curtsied.

Azura bowed response, Corrin giving a curtsy of her own. A slight yet present difference between the cultures they had been raised in after being kidnapped.

"Miss Lalami really sent you a letter about us?" Azura was taken by surprise. She hadn't thought their actions were enough to make the woman send letters to her relatives describing them in enough detail that said relatives could identify them on the spot. Not to mention the fact that she must have sent it only a day or two after they met, for it to have arrived in Cyrkensia so quickly.

Layla nodded in affirmation. "Yes she did! My mother and I send each other letters all the time, and today was one of the pick up days I have scheduled per month. You see, she's been ill for a long time. Since we don't see each other face to face, the only way I can really check up on her is through letters. If her letter came late or didn't come at all I'd know something happened to her, because she's never been late yet. And I send her letters back to not only let her know I got hers, but to let her know I'm safe. She's so worried about me being here all alone in a big city. I try to tell her I'm safe inside the Opera House, and that I have a good group of friends who would defend me if any trouble came my way, but you know how mothers get."

'Yes, I do,' Azura thought. 'After all, I've had two of them so far. Two beautiful and kind women who said they would do anything to see my smile, and who always put my sake ahead of their own…'

When Azura's gaze landed on Corrin, she could see the guilt in the other princess' eyes. She'd only known her mother for such a short time, and it hadn't ended well. Not wanting Layla to notice their grim expressions, Azura decided to speak up in a question.

"Layla, is there any chance you could do us a favor?" The girl seemed kind, and if she was anything like her mother Azura felt she'd accept. But the outward appearances and the attitude of the parent weren't always perfect indicator of the child's mindset and ways,so she could always be wrong.

"Of course! As long as it's something I can do, I'd be happy to do it.

"And I know I may be repeating myself, and I know I may be running on a little long, but I really am thankful for what you've done. I've been so worried about my mother these past few weeks I was thinking about skipping the performance to see her if she didn't improve. But in her last letter she went on and on about how your help helped her; how she was getting her medicine for free, how she was getting such nice meals now, how she could feel improvements after just a day and a half of doses. Now I'm not so worried about postponing my visit until after the performance. I'm sure the director is happy about that too. Not that he actually knew I had plans to leave, since I never worked up the courage to tell him, but still. Thanks again." Layla swung slowly from side to side, changing her balance from one foot to another. The appreciation in her words was genuine, and it warmed Azura's heart a little. It was nice to be thanked, after spending so long in Hoshido where, although there was no real hostility toward her, there always seemed to be an aura of discontent and half-acknowledgement. Only Mikoto every seemed completely honest with and open in her responses to Azura's words and actions. She would never pretend to be happier thang she was, or his her happiness because of bias or any sort of thing. The queen was truly a considerate person.

Azura smiled. "That's great to hear. My request has something to do with the performance, as a matter of fact. You see, I need to get into the performance hall before the performance itself, and I wasn't really sure how to do it. I'm a singer, and I was thinking of trying to have a late audition, but I wasn't sure how that would go. Would you possibly be able to help me get inside?" Hopefully Layla wouldn't question just why it was she wanted to get in. Azura could try the excuse of 'I've always wanted to perform in the famous Opera House of Cyrkensia,' but she wasn't sure how convincing she could make it. Honesty with little snippets of truth taken out was the best route,but that didn't mean she was very good at it.

"Sure! Anything for someone who helped my mother out. Add in the fact that you're a performer, not to mention a fellow singer, and of course I'll help you in. I love singing, and I've done it for years, but I'm still not fully confident in my voice. If you could be my backup vocals, or sing a duet with me, I'd be overjoyed! I have a couple friends who I've been talking to that might want to be backup dancers, too, so we could have a whole little show! How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Layla."

"You're welcome, miss Azura! Oh, if you're wondering why I know your name, my mother sent me a short description of everyone in your group. You can check it out when we get to my room in the hall, if you want. Since it's so close to the day of the show and we have so many performers staying down below, I'm not sure if you'll be able to get a room, so staying with me might be your best bet to keep from getting shoved with some weird stranger. Most of the performers are really friendly, but a few of them give me the creeps..."

"Whatever works out best for the both of us, then. Staying in your room would help me learn my part too, so I like the idea. Thank you so much for all of this."

"Oh it's no bother, really! It's just exciting." Layla clasped her hands together before reaching out to take Azura's hands. Corrin still held one, letting go before Layla could touch it. "And to you Corrin, thank you double for what you did, my mother-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Your mother said I helped a lot and was the reason for all the good or whatever it is. It was no big deal. Just me doing my part to make things right in the world. You two better get going if you want to make it to the performers' hall with enough time to practice!" Corrin told the two.

Layla laughed a little and said a short word of affirmation before leading Azura off. As Layla started to hum, Corrin grew smaller, the outline of her body eventually being taken up by the masses of people passing between them. Azura hoped she wasn't upset about losing her companion.

Layla navigated the two of them toward the Opera House, giving a short explanation as to who Azura was when they made it to the guards. As an extra precaution, Azura gave her name as "Celeste", making Layla raise an eyebrow. Once they were inside Azura told her it was a stage name that she thought up because of how boring "Azura" sounded. Layla accepted it, and agreed to not call her Azura until after the performance was over with. Giving her name as Azura might have been okay, but it also might have drawn suspicion of it was well known, so she decided to take the date route by using a pseudonym.

Ten minutes after entering the hall, Layla located the dancers she'd mentioned earlier. There were two men that must have been a few years older than she and Layla, as well as a woman that appeared to be their senior by at least ten.

One of the men was a bit below average height, with shoulder length midnight blue hair and a silver outfit. The other man was a head and a half taller than the first, with burgundy hair in a ponytail that went down to his waist and a gold outfit. They made an interesting contrast when standing next to each other. The woman had blonde hair piled in what seemed to be an intentionally messy bun, her own outfit a mix of gold, silver, and bronze. She must have been the main dancer, the two men serving as helpers based off their color combinations.

"Hello you three!" Layla shouted, drawing their attention, "Remember how I mentioned we could do a combination piece if I found someone to sing with me? Well look who I have here!"

The woman was the first one to react, walking up to Azura and placing a hand on her chin. The woman was tall from afar, but when she stood in front of Azura, the princess realized that she'd underestimated just how tall the woman was. She had to be Ryoma's height when barefoot, and at the moment she was wearing heels. It was a bit intimidating.

"So this is the girl that's going to perform with us? Tell me, what's your name darling? I don't think I've seen you around before," she drawled.

"Madeline! Don't go touching people without their permission!" Layla said with a pout.

Azura shook her head, both to rid herself of the woman's touch and to show Layla it wasn't all that big of a deal. "It's fine, Layla. I appreciate the concern, and I would rather not be touched if I could avoid it, but you don't need to make such a big outburst." Layla blushed. "I just arrived today, so it would make sense that you haven't seen me, Madeline is it? My name is Celeste. It's a pleasure to be here."

Madeline let out a laugh, putting heavily adorned fingers on her arms. "Celeste? What a beautiful name! And you're right, my name is Madeline. The short one with me is named Szollás, which I know doesn't fit him but I think the manly, complicated name makes him feel better, and the tall one is named Terryl. If you ask me, they should switch, but they just won't do it. How conceited, right?" Madeline let out another laugh, as the two men sighed. Both of them muttered something under their breaths, but Azura couldn't catch it.

"Oh don't complain you two," Madeline snapped, "it's just a joke!"

"We know," Terryl said.

"But I do wish you'd refrain from making jokes at our expense," Szollás added.

"Never!" Madeline cried, making the two sigh again. Layla just giggled, Azura joining in a moment later.

"Madeline just _loves_ to be dramatic," Layla whispered to the blue haired princess, her giggles making it hard to stay quiet.

"I can see that," Azura whispered back, trying to smother her own giggles.

"What are you girls giggling for," Madeline suddenly questioned. "We don't have time for fun and games. We have a performance in three days, and dear Celeste her still doesn't know her part! Not to mention I doubt the two boys behind me have been practicing."

"I have!"

"You haven't been either!"

"Unimportant. I choreographed the thing, so I know it by heart. I could even do it in my sleep! Just watch me, since I sleepwalk sometimes. I might actually do it! It's you two who are the ones that need to work."

She turned back to Azura and Layla. "Now then, follow me. I'll lead you over to a practice area we can use. Oh and Celeste, you don't mind changing do you? I have just the _perfect_ outfit for you…"

* * *

Three days later, Azura was in a room behind the large stage that she and the others would be performing on, waiting until the time for her to go up had come. Madeline, Szollás, and Terryl had already gone up and done their individual pieces, and were currently chatting nearby. Layla had just left to do her single piece, so Azura was waiting with them for the few minutes between when Layla went up and the rest of them joined her.

Azura had spent all the free time she'd had over the past couple days going around the performer's hall trying to get information on Prince Xander's movements. Unfortunately, she only had moderate success. No one had known where Xander was at the moment, but they did know his arrival day. His arrival time though...

Apparently some incident had arisen on his way to Cyrkensia that needed the prince's immediate attention, so he was going to arrive later than originally anticipated. The Opera House managers had actually pushed the time for the performance back a few hours to allow for his travel time, but kept it on the same day as originally scheduled. Wherever Xander was and whatever he was doing, it wasn't enough to postpone such a big event as was going on in the Opera House.

Azura only hoped that he wasn't trying to find the ice tribe. If Felicia and Flora were some sort of offerings to King Garon to keep him from harming the tribe, and they were both gone, then the tribe would be a prime target with both of the twins gone. Add in the fact that Flora had 'betrayed' the king by surviving the battle against Corrin without killing the princess, and Azura knew Garon had to have done something to punish the tribe. Flora had gone back to earn them though, so hopefully she had made it in time and Prince Xander was dealing with something else.

Azura had also heard rumors about Prince Ryoma trying to gain allies in nearby Cheve, and that he was already meeting with rebel leaders. The rumors varied, with some saying he had a small army of deserters in addition to skilled Hoshidan soldiers and heavily armed rebels, and other saying he had tried speaking to the Cheve rebels and been allowed entrance to the base but had yet to get any actual support. The main consensus was something like the first one, though, so Azura had at least some important information to report back to Robin. She hadn't been allowed to leave the hall since there were only three days left (apparently Layla and her letters were so well known she got through, but Azure had nowhere near that kind of status and was thus stuck inside), so all the information she knew stayed only with her. None of it had reached the members of Corrin's army yet, so she had a lot to say when they met up.

For the moment she was sitting on a bench waiting to go up, though. Reports could wait for later.

"Sooo, are you ready sweetie? Are you prepared for the biggest and most amazing performance of your life? You look so darling in that outfit, and your voice is one of the silkiest, smoothest sounds I've ever heard in my life. You're going to be spectacular out there, I know it," Madeline reassured the quiet songstress.

At the mention of outfits, Azura looked up at Madeline for a second, then over to where Szollás and Terryl were, and finally back down to her own dress.

Szollás and Terryl were once again in silver and gold, but this time their outfits were much nicer. Pants that hugged at the waist puffed out into baggy cloth, thin layers of translucent ribbon on top of the material making it shimmer as it moved. The pants got wider and wider until the ankle, where they were held against their wearer's skin with a thick metal bangle. Neither wore any shoes, their feet instead covered in a cloth wrap dyed silver and gold, respectively. They weren't exactly shoes, but they weren't socks or regular bandages either. They were just there, Azure supposed.

The two men also sported long open vests that went down to mid thigh, with short tops that didn't quite cover the bottom of their ribs underneath. The vests had the same sort of translucent ribbons on them as the pants did, but the tips were completely solid and opaque. Both men had several bangles and bracelets on both arms, some with crystals inside, some made of only metal, as well as a large pendant necklace. Szollás' had a silver chain but gold piece in the pendant part, and Terryl's had a gold chain but a silver piece in the middle.

They also had on headpieces, which were unique. Szollás' had several swirling designs and resembled roses, with one of the center pieces being silver, the next one gold, and the final one bronze. Terryl's was much straighter, resembling tilted daggers that went from gold to silver to bronze.

As impressive as the two men were, Madeline was even more dazzling. She had on the same top as the men did, as well as a vest of a similar design, but rather than stopping at mid thigh, here ended at the bottom of her calf. It also split into two pieces once it reached her waist in the back, forming a long v-shape when looked at from behind. The edges of the vest had two solid ribbons, with silver on the outside and gold on the inside. The base color was bronze though, as was her top.

She had on form fitting but elastic shorts that covered her thighs, which had a diamond pattern that wasn't discernible from far away, but impressive up close. Madeline also had tri colored ribbons wrapped around her legs from her knees down to her ankles, where the wrappings on her feet were solid bronze.

The woman wore three pendants, two of them matching the ones Szollás and Terryl wore, and the third having a bronze chain and a crystal that may have been diamond in the middle. Her arms were also covered in bangles of all three colors, and her headpiece was the most elaborate of all. It made almost a full circle around her head, stopping just below her ears, and had a teardrop pattern all around it. In between the drops were different flowers and knives, paired together and angles toward the center in the way that made her face look long and elegant. Her hair was also put back in an elaborate braid that held right against the back of her head, swirling toward the center in a way that made it resemble a rose.

Azura's outfit paled in comparison. Her dark blue dress matched Szollás' hair, but it was nowhere near as elaborate as what he was wearing. Her dress was almost a two piece, actually. It held right against her bosom, opaque cloth keeping her skin from view, but from the middle of her ribs down was a translucent gold fabric that left her stomach completely visible. At her waist the translucent gold met a large golden belt, below which was a long skirt of the same blue as her top. The skirt had a long slit up the left side, which Azura was mostly used to, but she wasn't wearing her usual stocking, which made the whole thing feel weird. She did have on gold shorts to match her stomach, but they thankfully weren't completely translucent. They weren't completely opaque either, but they were satisfactory. There were also long golden waves embroidered on the blue part of the dress, making for a little bit, but not a major amount of detail. It wasn't as dazzling as the dancers' gear, but it was still pretty. She would've loved to keep the thing, but it was Madeline's and Azure doubted the woman would want to part with it.

Layla was wearing a dress that mirrored Azura's, except it was red and silver to match Terryl's hair and Szollás' outfit. It worked out well, as Azura's blue hair went well with the blue dress, and Layla's pinkish-purple hair went well with the red dress. The two singers also sported bronze veils, as well as their own unique pendants. Azura had on the one she always wore, and Layla had a ruby pendant on that she'd gotten from her mother a few years back. Neither wore anything on their feet.

With how well they were dressed, Azura was confident they'd at least look good if anything went wrong.

"Celeste!" Madeline shouted, drawing Azura's attention, "It's time for us to go on stage!" The blonde woman grabbed Azura by the arm and took her to the edge of the stage, where they were just far enough back to not be seen by the audience.

"Are you ready, sweetie?" Madeline asked, her voice breathy with excitement.

"Y-yes," Azura whispered back, her heart pounding. She wasn't new to singing in front of people. So why was it she felt so nervous?

"Hey, you've got this, Celeste. You sound like a goddess when you sing, and you haven't missed a single note since the third time you sang the song on day one. This is going to be a piece of cake, my little Star" Terryl told her, winking and sticking out his tongue while using the nickname he'd given her after their first practice.

"I know you're going to be absolutely fantastic. I know your heart may be pounding now, but it gets easier when you're out there. Just tune everyone out and perform like you're singing all alone for yourself to have a good time. _You_ are your biggest critic. No one is going to be harsher on you than you are. And even you can't find faults in your song. So go out there and sing. I believe in you." Szollás' words were genuine, and Azura felt her heart warm.

The combined reassurance of Madeline, Terryl, and Szollás was enough to get Azura to smile, and slowly her heart began to calm down.

Then it was performance time, and Azura took the first step out toward the stage, singing her first line as she revealed herself, walking up to Layla and joining hands with the girl who had a happy gleam in her eye.

Together they sang harder than Azura ever had, supported by three wonderful dancers who brought so much to the performance Azura couldn't even begin to explain their wonder.

At the end of the song, the group of five received a standing ovation, and Azura felt the happiest she'd felt in years. Looking at Layla, then to Madeline, Terryl, and Szollás, she started to sing again, this time an old tune her mother used to sing to her when they first came to Nohr to comfort her. Layla served as the background singer, adding in little flourishes here and there that made their song absolutely enchanting even without any instruments to back them up. And the wonderful interpretive dance her companions did brought tears to her eyes as well. When they finished the song and got one more standing ovation, the five bowed, and walked off stage to the sound of cheers, claps, and whistles.

They all hugged once off stage. It had gone perfectly. Suddenly Azura was glad Robin had made her come to the Opera Hall. Not only had she gotten some important information, but she'd made some friends and had the time of her life. She hadn't seen Xander in the audience as she scanned the boats and seats while on stage, but the warmth she felt that day made up for it. There was no guarantee the prince would be there, so his absence was slightly disappointing but not unexpected. Azura had thought that if he was there, he might have recognized her and confronted her in private so they could get in a short conversation about how their armies should interact, but it didn't happen, She'd have to meet up with him some other time.

For the moment though, it was time to pack up and go. The performance was fun, but the longer she stayed, the more likely it was for someone to ask Azura a question she couldn't answer without drawing suspicion or giving herself away. She'd already told Layla and the others that she was travelling with a group that needed to depart as soon as possible, and that she would be leaving once the performance was over. All she had to do was change out of the dress she was in and back into her regular dress, say goodbye to her new friends, and get on her way.

"Celeste! One moment please!" Madeline shouted for the umpteenth time since they had met three days prior.

"Madeline? What is it?" Azura asked. She didn't know what the older woman would want to talk to her about. Other than staying and living there as a performer, but that wasn't an option. At least not until the war was over. Maybe someday…

"I want to say thank you. That performance was stunning. You have such a powerful song for someone so young. And you move with such grace for a singer, too. I don't have much to give you, but I want to leave you with something for this great day, and as a little thing for you to remember me by. So, will you please keep the dress? I've long outgrown it, and it looks so pretty on you. Please?"

"I…" Azura didn't know what to say. She was honored by the offer. "I… will. Thank you Madeline. This means so much to me."

"It's such a little thing, I wish I could do more. Just promise not to forget me, sweetie. Whatever bad things happened in your past to keep you from talking about it, I don't care about. Past Celeste is not current Celeste. I'll always be here if you need a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to talk to. Just stop by. I'll probably be here until the day I can't dance anymore, and even then I'll try to stick around as a choreographer. So if you ever want to see me again, you know where to find me. I'll miss you. Come back anytime."

"I'll miss you too. Goodbye, Madeline. It's been fun."

Azura's eyes were watering once again, and Madeline enclosed her in a tight hug.

When she let go, Azura went back to where her normal dress was so she could take it back with her. In the room was Layla, who she said her goodbyes to in a similar fashion.

On her way out, Terryl stopped her, calling out for his "beautiful star, Celeste!"

When she stopped and he caught up, the man shoved an envelope in her hand.

"That's my contact information," he said, panting slightly from exertion. "I move around a lot, going from performance hall to performance hall, and sometimes I'm hard to find. But I have a set schedule of where I go, so those are all the places I might be and the dates I'll be at them. It's the same every year. You… really are mesmerizing, Celeste. I know you have to leave right now, but I would love to go on a date with you sometime. Or even a non-romantic lunch get together. Something. I don't want this to be the last time we meet."

Azura nodded, giving him a small hug. Terryl stayed with his body against hers for a moment before letting go, wandering off to wherever it was he needed to be.

Last but not least, Azura saw Szollás waiting near the exit to the hall. He had his own letter, but didn't have the same panicked expression in his face as Terryl did. He looked slightly nervous, in a charming way, but not like he was about to lose his composure.

After a few seconds of Azura looking at him, Szollás caught sight of the songstress and went toward her, the two meeting up somewhere in the middle.

"Celeste, darling!" he sang, a bright smile lighting up his face. "Just the lady I was looking for." Azura giggled at his outburst, a smile making its way to her own face. "Your performance today was the best one I've ever seen, not to mention been a part of. The raw emotion in your voice made its way to my soul, and the lift of the sounds that left your mouth was so great I thought my heart would float its way out of my body as it tried to make its way to heaven to join those lovely noises. And your face, sparkling under the stage lights… You have such a beautiful smile. If there's anything I can do to make it appear more often, please tell me. It's something I simply can't get enough of."

"Oh come on, Szollás, don't you think that's a little excessive?" A blush was making its way to Azura's face with each word the dancer said.

"Not at all! Everything I've said I mean in full. You have this certain aura about you that makes me feel at home. You truly are a gift in this world, especially on this side of the border.

"Now then, I have a letter for you. I… am a bit shy about these things, so I'd appreciate it if you opened it after you left the hall and can't… well…" Szollás' face had turned a deep red.

"Reject your love confession to your face?" Azura joked.

Szollás spluttered in response. "Whaagh!? N-no, it's not, I mean, it's- ggahh! You know what I mean. I wouldn't put something as precious as that in some letter just to run away! It's more meaningful than that! Just, don't open it right here, please? Now you're making me feel even worse if you do open it."

Azura giggled. "Of course. Goodbye, Szollás." She leaned in for a hug.

"Goodbye, Celeste," he said.

After a few seconds of their hug, he leaned in closer and whispered into her ear so no one around them could hear his words.

"It's a pity Lord Xander couldn't have been here to see your performance, Princess Azura. It was one of the most spectacular things I've seen in all my days in Nohr. Maybe after this war is over, we can get together and show him. It would be nice to see you again. You'll have to look a little more carefully though, because next time I'll look a little different. I don't have enough hair dye to wear to battle after all!"

Azura's half closed eyes shot open and she backed away, her eyes catching on Szollás' face just long enough to see the regret and sadness in his expression before they were replaced by a bright smile.

"Bye bye, my sweet Celeste! It was a pleasure meeting you!" Szollás shouted loud enough for his voice to echo down the hall, letting out one last wave before he turned around and ran into the crowd, blending in in such a way Azura couldn't hope to find him even if she tried.

"Wait… he… he knew the entire time…? Then, is Xander-!?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And there it is! Chapter 17, the one year anniversary special. This didn't work out exactly how I imagined it, and the ending is slightly off in some way, but it's what I have for now. These past 3 days I've had this completed, I've been trying to work out how to phrase the last 4 or so paragraphs, but nothing better came to mind, so here is what I have.** **I was also debating whether to post this today, the 1 year anniversary, or Monday the 7th, because that's not only Laslow's birthday, but my birthday too. As you can see, I decided on today, so now you know.**

 **Next chapter we will finally get back into the fun stuff - battle. Not that I didn't like this chapter, because I did, but battles and such are cool too. Oh, and you know the Lalami chapters? This is why I included them. So Layla wouldn't have to leave the Opera House. So even if I don't plan everything out, I do have a few things here and there! By the way,** **Lalami is named after Laila (like Layla) Lalami, a Moroccan-American novelist and essayist, and Szollás is named after László Szollás, a Hungarian world champion pairs skater. That's the closest to a dancer Laslow I could fine.** **Now then, this is getting long, and it's really late, so I'll cut this here. I might revise this note a little at 4:00 or 5:00 PM, (it's after 12:40AM right now, and I have to wake up in 4 hours) when I'm not busy sleeping or doing other stuff, but for now that's all.**

 **Thank you again for sticking with me. This story is bigger than I ever imagined it would get, and the popularity both astounds and honors me. I love you guys. Have a nice day!**

 **Originally posted August 4, 2017. ~9,000 words without A/Ns**

 **Eruran out.**


	18. Interlude

**Author's Note: I originally had this as a part of the next chapter, but it was long enough I moved it up a little. Sorry about the wait. I haven't abandoned this story, I've just been busy. College application season is here, and I have a few places I really want to get into that require some good essays. Most of my energy has been devoted to that and the other 4,000 word essay I have due at the end of the month... School, huh? Anyway, it's been two months and a week since the last update. I shouldn't delay this any longer.**

 **EDIT: How could I forget?! DANCER LASLOW! MY BOY FINALLY GOT HIS DREAM! When that banner came out for FE Heroes I just about died of joy. The only thing that could make me happier at this point is for him to, you know, come home. I've spent ~80 orbs on the performance banner, and I don't have a single focus unit... I've been trying to get either him or Olivia, but they're hiding or something. There are only 18 days left. Come on guys, I need you-!**

 **Anyway, that's (semi-) off topic. So without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

 _ **Some time before the performance**_

"I don't see why we even have to be here," Laslow whined with a frown, turning the mug in his hands. "These people aren't doing anything out of malice. They had a poor harvest due to the drought - they _couldn't_ pay their regular tribute. Had they done so, none of them would have had a crumb to eat!"

He and Xander were sitting in the room they'd been assigned in the inn they were staying at, discussing the reasons for their being sent there. A week prior, Garon had deployed them to Arkess to 'subdue the rebellion' going on there; to 'end the treason those ungrateful children' were performing. That treason being the failure to pay the kingdom their annual grain tribute that served to pay for Arkess' protection. Protection which had not come at all during the five bandit raids the town had experienced during the current year of payment.

"I know, Laslow," Xander sighed. "But Father has ordered us to come. You know what happens when I say 'no.'"

Laslow scoffed. "Pardon my words, but no, I don't Milord. Not once have you refused King Garon's orders while I've been your retainer."

"Not once have I managed to refuse my father's words _in the end_. I've attempted several times to prevent whatever tragedy he wants me to carry out. But it always ends in unneeded suffering. You know that." Xander's voice free grave at the end of his sentence.

"..." Laslow paused. "Yes, I do, milord. Sorry. It's just… this is so _in_ just! There's no righteousness to be found in what we're doing. How can you stand for this!"

"Though you haven't told me what land it is you hail from, and I doubt you ever will, I know your birthplace is not Nohr, and that you are not used to what goes on here. But this way of doing things has been around since I've been a child. Worsening over the years until it's become what it is now, but long present. I've grown up with this, Laslow. That's how I can 'stand' it. How I can tolerate this madness." Xander paused, pushing back his chair to stand. He paced back and forth. "It's not something I believe is right, nor something I can support. But blatantly refusing or ignoring my father will achieve nothing. Our current goal is for the good of Nohr, though I may not support the actions being taken to achieve this end goal. That's why tomorrow we'll be meeting with the town council to talk about a compromise. About some way we can avoid having to arrest the townspeople, or the taking of grain by force as Father wants it."

"...do you really think compromise is possible? That they'd be willing to give up what little food they do have available?" Laslow's voice was grim.

"...Do you not?" Xander seemed confused.

"Sir, you've grown up without ever worrying about being able to eat. Or at least, you've grown up without ever worrying there would be no food available for you to eat. I wouldn't doubt the king has withheld meals from you before because of dissatisfaction with your performance, or something along those lines. And don't deny it - I heard Wilhelma, one of the castle cooks, mention it before!

"Anyway, someone of your status has never had the deep fear of going hungry. Of withering away because of a pit in your stomach that you lack the food to fill. My guess is that you think the people will be fine giving up a few tons of grain because in the end, that only means one less meal a day. Which, while unpleasant, isn't the end of the world, right?"

Xander didn't reply.

"Well, as you can imagine, it's a pretty big deal. When you're eating castle sized meals, giving up one meal is annoying, but not impossible to deal with. When you're giving up a meal that's a fraction of the size of a castle meal, it's a much bigger issue. You saw the townspeople as we walked in, did you not? Most of them are skin and bones. Not a one has an extra pound of fat upon their body. Not even the town head, who would presumably have the best diet. For these people, giving up a meal means giving up a third of their already meager food source. Giving up even a single ton of grain means not only the elimination of a meal, but the siphoning from their other meals. Or possibly even meal. If they ate two meals a day rather than three, I wouldn't be surprised.

"The point is, as much as I hate to admit it milord, I don't think we're going to be getting any grain out of these people peacefully. Any grain taken will be met with an equal amount of blood spilled."

Laslow was wringing his hands, avoiding looking at Xander's face. He had grown up in a different land, where he hadn't experienced the harsh tribute system and ways of Nohr. But what he knew the way people reacted when the last bits of their food were taken away.

After Grima's revival, food became extremely scarce. Food hadn't exactly been plentiful in the years beforehand to begin with, due to the wars which destroyed farmland and killed the unwilling soldiers made from the men who would have farmed it. So even in the years preceding the dark god's revival people had been forced to ration ever so slightly.

Then, upon Grima's return, the situation became many times worse. Maybe as a result of his presence, maybe as a result of something neither Laslow nor the other Ylisseans knew, once fertile lands stopped producing anywhere near their previous levels. It was as if Grima's mere existence had salted the soil. Some people suspected that Grima's followers had polluted the water in attempt to weaken their foes. Others blamed Naga - saying that she'd revoked the blessings she'd given the land for failing to stop her enemy from being revived. But regardless of the cause or the scapegoat the problems were placed upon, famine spread.

As food ran out, bandits ran wild. More people turned to thievery to sustain themselves, forming bands across the land regardless of their place of origin. They targeted everyone - the poorest village was targeted just as often as the richest town. Not to say anywhere was particularly rich, as even Ylisstol was on its way down for a long time before the final blow had been dealt. But bandits took from everyone, just as Garon demanded the same tribute from all of his 'subjects' regardless of whether or not they were a part of the Nohrian country or just a conquered sub-state, and regardless of their economic status and the ease with which they could meet his demands.

Laslow could remember walking through ruined villages, looking at all the bodies strewn upon the ground, thin as could be. Whenever he'd ask the village leaders why they had fought so hard despite having only farm tools to defend against well-armed invaders, the response was always the same: "Their lives were so poor anyway. Losing their food meant losing their lives - they'd rather die a quick death by sword than a slow one by hunger."

One new widow had it explained it to Laslow in a more complex way: "If my husband had lived and won he would have lost nothing; if he lived and lost, he would have lost it all and been condemned to a long and painful death. If he died and won, then his family members would have more food on their own plates due to the food not needed to go to the dead; if he died and lost, then at least his hunger pangs would finally be gone, and our daughter would no longer have to watch him suffer."

Although t wasn't a pleasant reality, it was one seen everywhere Laslow went. The situation was different in the new land he found himself in. But the townsfolk were human, and some reactions were common. He didn't want Xander's negotiation attempts to turn into a one sided slaughter.

When Xander finally spoke, it was with a grave tone of voice. "I suppose I have been looking at things through the wrong lense. You're correct in your assumption - I've not once in my life had to worried about starvation. My own, at least. And I can understand your fears of retaliation, and the possible resistance the people will put up at our attempts to take any more from them.

"But nothing will be achieved without negotiation. Tomorrow I will convene with the town council. I'll present my terms and Father's requests. Then I will offer up ways I think could please him while being less of a burden on the townspeople. I'll do my best to reach an agreement that works for us both. If we cannot by the end of the meeting, then I will send a messenger back to the castle and wait for Father's next instructions. I'll mention your concerns in the letter to hopefully convince him to lessen his demands, but it is ultimately up to him and the willingness of the townspeople.

"Now get some rest - while sharing a room with you isn't the end of the world, I don't want to be kept up all night by whatever it is you do when you disappear. The door is loud enough I've no doubts it would wake me if you tried to enter or exit. So goodnight Laslow, and I shall see you in the morn."

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Peri asked cheerfully, bouncing slightly as Xander exited the building where his meeting with the town council had been held.

A heavy scowl was on his face, worse than usual, and Xander took in a deep (and quite agitated) breath. "I'll tell you when we're somewhere private. Laslow, you still have the roomkey, do you not? If you've given it to some woman in order to score a night out I won't be pleased."

Laslow gave an exaggerated scoff of disbelief. "Why, come on now Lord Xander! I would _never_!"

Xander glared at Laslow, clearly fed up with his antics already.

"I-I mean, maybe never isn't the right word, but I have it right here, see!" the retainer pulled the key out of his pocket, laughing nervously. "Sorry about that Milord. My words were uncalled for. Please forgive me." Laslow's voice grew small as his feelings of nervousness grew larger.

"I accept your apology. I just ask that you refrain from doing that again. I'm not in the mood this morning." The prince's voice had calmed slightly, his irritation dripping away. Laslow felt relieved.

Peri's voice drew their combined attention. "Does Lord Xander need Peri to eviscerate someone? Peri can do it - that's the 'E' in her name!"

Xander's even steps suddenly skipped as he jerked at the offer, while Laslow just about fell onto his face.

The crown prince looked side to side, checking to see if there was anyone around to hear the cheerful woman's words. "No thank you, Peri. Not right now. If all goes well, you won't be eviscerating anyone on this trip, I'm sorry to say. But at the rate things are going, I'm growing more and more worried that the need may arise."

Peri frowned. "Aw. Peri was really looking forward to stabbing someone. She got a new lance that hasn't been made red yet at all! But Peri wants to keep Lord Xander happy too. So she won't stab anyone unless he asks, and hopes that she doesn't need to too!"

"I hold a similar sentiment," Laslow remarked, before quickly adding: "That is, about the hoping we don't have to fight thing. I'd rather not ever stab someone if given the chance. Bloody lances, or swords in my case, aren't the most pleasant thing."

"Yet you're my retainer; a man who's bound to fight," commented Xander.

"As much as I detest the idea of battle, I do know when it's necessary. I fight for a more peaceful future, and so others don't have to, milord. If we lived in a war-free, completely peaceful world then I'd not be the one to change it. But here in this bloody land, I do what I must. There's no place I'd rather be than your side."

Xander gave a quiet chuckle. "What an honor. Thank you Laslow. And thank you too, Peri. Your restraint is very much appreciated. I'll see if there are any bandit forts to clean out on our way back to the castle after this is all over.

"Woohoo!"

They continued walking toward the inn, Laslow opening the door to his and Xander's room once they arrived. When the three of them sat down at the table inside, Xander threw his hand down.

"You were right, Laslow. They're not willing to give up a single pound of grain without compensation, and even then they'll only give up less than a quarter of what Father wants. Their entire stock is still just short of his requests, so they couldn't pay the tribute even if they did pay everything. We're at an impasse."

"What is the compensation they want?" Laslow asked.

"Protection. Not just an empty promise, but an actual guard of at least 15 men sent to stay in the empty fortress a minute's walk from the town. The town would give them some food, but the men would be required to maintain a garden of their own as well since the town's resources are stretched so thin as it is."

"Can't we just give them the men?" Peri questioned, lips pursed. "Peri knows a ton of guys who just sit around the base and don't do anything! They say they're bored by sitting around, but they won't fight Peri for some reason. Maybe they would have a good time helping here!"

Xander nodded. "Theoretically, yes. In reality, probably not. Gathering men to send first requires the permission of their squad leader, all of whom are currently under Iago's command for some strange reason. He and I aren't on the best of terms, so I wouldn't be surprised if he refused the transfer request solely because I filed for it. If need be I could scare him into doing it, but that would require me to come up with a plan that he can't run to Father screaming about, and that takes time I don't have.

"If Father doesn't get some sort of tribute in nine days, he's sending in a squadron to take the grain by force. A squadron that I know will have specific orders to not take any from me. It's a few days' ride to and from the castle. I can't afford to ride to the castle in person to intimidate Iago - there's not enough time. A messenger can get there much faster than I can, but they won't have the same effect. At this point I think the best chance this town has at avoiding backlash from Nohr is to send in what grain they can spare now, and keep half the men with me here while I send some of the others back to the castle to gather help."

Laslow wasn't sure about the plan. "Milord, are you certain this is the best course of action? Your guard can't afford to lose many men. It will be difficult to get more troops who hold as much loyalty to you as our current forces do."

"That I understand. But it won't be permanent. My men I can trust to give proper attention to this place. If I must leave them here for a week or two until the army sends in new men, then I will. I don't want the townspeople to suffer at Nohr's hand because of 'poor performance' caused by a drought they could do nothing to prevent. I've already sent a letter back to the castle. I have another meeting tomorrow. Hopefully the council will understand when I say I cannot immediately meet their requests."

"Peri hopes so too," the woman added.

"As do I," said Laslow.

"Now on to our next matter - Corrin."

Peri shot into a standing position. "Ooh, did we find her? Does Lord Xander want Peri to stab her? King Garon called her a traitor - Peri is ready to help stop her and protect the crown!"

"Peri!" Laslow cried, moving into a standing position as well. "That's Lord Xander's sister you're talking about! Be a little more gentle!"

"But it's true!" she shot back, putting her hands on her hips. "Peri saw her when she turned traitor! She made Lord Xander upset, so she deserved the pain. No one hurts Peri's friends."

Xander was visibly upset. "Peri, please sit down. Laslow, you too. You're both acting like children." He cleared his throat. "Now then. Peri, while I'm glad you're concerned for my emotional state, and while Corrin may currently be labeled a traitor, I don't want you hurting her. Her… betrayal… greatly hurt me. Even if we're reunited I know I will have trouble restoring our bond.

"But I do want to restore it. Blood relation or not, she is my sister. Someone I've loved for years. As much as it pains me to admit it, I can see why she had trouble returning to us after learning of why she was raised as our sister in the first place. That doesn't mean I support her choice, but I can at least understand what may have led her to make it. If I could only speak to her again, then I might be able to talk some sense into the girl. Perhaps I could get her to admit her faults, and convince Father to forgive her as well. She's yet to injure any Nohrian troops other than those we sent at her that day. It was self-defense, not malice. Father should understand."

"..." Neither Laslow nor Peri responded. Peri because she was considering the words, Laslow because he was doubting them.

Xander was too loyal. Yes, loyalty was a good trait that he wished more people had. But the prince was practically brainwashed, trying to see good in a man who had long since surrendered himself to complete corruption. Garon was cruel and insane. But Xander, the 'honorable' knight he was, would never think about betraying his king. To Xander, the best knight was the one who stuck to his King's orders even when in doubt. Sometimes questioning was allowed, but in the end disobeying the king's orders was worse than death. Even if those orders violated every sense of morals he had.

The prince cleared his throat. "Anyway, I've received word of Corrin's passage to Nestra. She was last sighted in a village a few days away from the country, even farther than we are, so if we were to leave now we'd arrive there before her. However, from what I understand she's currently caught up in some business in that village, and thus won't be departing for a few days. That gives us some extra time to finish things here and hurry to Nestra, but I doubt we'll be lucky enough to do so. As I've just explained, the situation here isn't too good. Do either of you have any suggestions as to what we should do?"

The two retainers looked at each other. Neither said anything, instead shrugging. "Peri doesn't know. Why should we meet up with Corrin now? Won't she still be around later?"

"Yes," Xander explained, "she will be around. But the longer it takes to convince her to join us, the less likely it is Father will take her in."

' _Less_ likely? Who knew the chance could go into the negatives…' Laslow thought to himself.

The male retainer voiced a different note. "Weren't you planning on visiting the Opera House in Nestra before this whole mess? Can't you try to convince King Garon to delay the tribute's collection until after you've had your trip? That would not only give the villagers more time to scrounge up whatever they can for their payment, but also give us a chance to meet up with Corrin."

"As nice as that sounds, I fear that won't work this time around. While Father would permit me to leave this town to go see the performance, he wouldn't give the town any more than he already has. No, to protect this place I have to be here in the flesh. My word alone won't give the council or other townspeople much more of a chance than me having not visited at all," Xander responded.

Laslow grew upset. "Don't you find that a bit odd, milord? That you, the crown prince, have such little power?"

A scoff. "Odd? That isn't the word I'd choose. But yes, I know this probably isn't how things should be. I can't just ignore my lack of power and let people get hurt for it though. So for now I'll stay here, hoping to reach some sort of compromise between all the messengers and meetings. I'll have to meet up with Corrin at a later date, loath as I am to admit it."

Laslow nodded, a bit disappointed. Peri then took the opportunity to speak up.

"Lord Xander?" she started, drawing the man's attention.

"Yes?"

"What if someone else goes? What if you stay here and Peri or Laslow or one of the guard members meet up with Corrin instead? As long as someone says hi, things should be okay, right?"

Xander and Laslow blinked, the former opening and closing his mouth a couple times while the latter bit his lip in thought.

"That… just might work," Xander said. "I still want to talk to Corrin one on one, but if I could just buy some time… Thank you Peri. I think you're on to something great."

Peri's eyes light up. "Realy?!" she gasped, clearly excited. "Yay! Peri helped Lord Xander! Peri's awesome!"

"Yes, yes you are," Xander chuckled. "Now then. I have some things to plan out that I'd like silence for, so I ask that you two wait outside my room."

"Of course, Milord," the two replied, giving small bows as they walked outside.

"Peri's so happy," the girl said, her face lit up.

"Yeah, good job in there," Laslow replied. "All I managed to do was worsen the prince's frown. But you made him smile! He never does that! Congratulations, Peri. A job well done from a lovely lady such as yourself."

"Thanks, Laslow! But if you call Peri 'lovely' again she's gonna cut your thumb off! Peri's strong, not lovely!"

"Y-you can be both! And please don't cut my thumb…"

"Then don't call Peri bad things."

"It was a compliment, not an insult!"

"Peri doesn't believe you."

"Really! And h-hey, put away your lance, we're inside, no need for that-!"

* * *

After the meeting the following day, Xander, Laslow, and Peri once again found themselves in the men's room.

"So how did it go today?" Laslow asked.

"Better. I told them about possibly leaving a few of my men here while I waited for the full fifteen they asked for, and while they weren't completely happy, they at least agreed to it. They seemed to understand the limits of my ability, particularly while I'm still waiting for word from Father, so we've reached at least one agreement for now. A small victory, but one nonetheless."

"Great!" Laslow and Peri said together.

Xander nodded. "I've also gotten word that Corrin's been delayed in her journey. Only by a day or three, though, so I doubt I'll be able to get to her in time. Which means that I'm going to have to send someone else in my place."

Peri's eyes lit up, as she gasped. "Peri will do it! Peri saw Corrin before, so she can find her again! And if Corrin doesn't cooperate, Peri can knock her out and bring her back if Lord Xander wants her to."

Laslow and Xander looked at each other nervously. That wouldn't work out well.

"Actually," Xander said, clearing his throat, "I was thinking of sending Laslow instead."

"Me!?" Laslow cried, unsure. "But what of your safety? You only have Peri and I at your side. I couldn't possibly leave you with only half a guard." He shot a glance at Peri. "N-not that I song think Peri is capable of protecting you. I just don't know how happy King Garon would be, and I think you should have the most protection possible if the townspeople turn violent."

"I understand your concerns, but don't worry Laslow. I've seen the weapons and possible fighters available. I'll be more than fine with just Peri even if they do launch an attack against me. And it isn't just Peri either; I have a full guard here as well. I'll appoint one of them to stay at my side as you would. As for Father, we just won't tell him. If he finds out then I'll come up with an excuse, but for now don't worry. I need to get into contact with Corrin as soon as possible."

"Milord, how am I supposed to find her though? I've seen her before, but Nestra is a huge place. The chances of me just running into her are slim. And if I ask around for her she'll probably find out in some way and try harder to avoid me."

"Then don't ask for her. Go somewhere popular enough that she comes to you."

"What do you mean by that, Lord Xander?"

"The Opera House is the largest attraction in Nestra. Camilla knows I was heading there, and must have told Corrin by now. So unless something strange happens, that will be her destination. If you go there, then you should run into her."

"How am I to get in though? And how will I find her even if she does go to the performance? The audience is huge. I don't know how I'd be able to find her other than walking up and down the aisles, and checking each boat. I doubt security would let me wander and be so disruptive."

"I'm sure performers get a little more freedom, and that the view from the stage would be good."

"Maybe milord, but-"

Laslow's eyes widened.

"No, you're not suggesting-"

Xander cut him off. "Exactly. I've seen you wander off to dance at night. While I don't watch you every time, I've seen enough to know you could pass for a professional. If I put in a recommendation, I've no doubts you'll be accepted into the Opera House. Azura's a songstress. If Corrin and the man at her side are smart, they'll send Azura in to the Opera House as well with the goal of gathering information. If so, you'll be able to talk to her and get a message to Corrin."

Laslow thought about it for a moment, looking down. "I-I appreciate your words milord, but I really don't know if I can do that. Dancing is just a hobby, and just imagining being in front of so many people is…"

"What if they didn't know it was you?" Xander asked. "If you disguised yourself, and gave a false name? Things you would discard as soon as the performance was over. If you messed up, which I know you won't, your mistake couldn't be traced back to you either."

Laslow still looked unsure, making Xander sigh. "Fine. Think of it like this: I am ordering you to infiltrate the Opera House and locate a member of Corrin's party. In order for your mission to succeed, you must put on a performance, or you won't be able to get the the Opera House at all." Xander's voice was firm. "I'll write you two letters: one for the Opera House's director, and one for Corrin and her companion. Go ready yourself, and I'll have the letter ready when you're done."

"As you wish, milord," Laslow said with a bow, walking toward the door. He paused when he reached it, turning around. "Uh, Lord Xander?"

"Yes?" Xander replied.

"This is my room too. My stuff is kind of, well, here. I can't exactly _go_ per se, since the things I need are here." The smile on the retainer's face made Xander sigh. He told Peri to leave the room, following her so he could write his letter without being distracted by Laslow's actions.

Laslow took a deep breath. "Did you hear that, Mother?" he whispered. "I'm going to perform for real. In front of real people. Thousands of real people. Can you believe it? I'm going to make you proud, I promise. No mistakes, no slip ups. I have one chance… Well, time to get ready, I guess."

* * *

When Laslow, or rather Szollás (why had Prince Xander picked such a weird name!?), arrived at the Opera House, he was taken in right away. He was shown to a room that, while lacking people, had someone else's things in it already. He was told that due to lack of rooms he'd be sharing with another dancer, Terryl, and that he'd be given three and a half minutes for his performance. His guide then left, leaving Laslow to unpack his things.

He'd found the old hair dye he had from his visit to the hot springs while rummaging in his pack, so at the moment he had a blue head of hair rather than silver. It made him a little homesick, seeing his hair like that. It reminded him of his sister, who was probably wondering where he'd gone. He'd never said goodbye. But he'd be back to her in no time, so he'd make it up to her. No matter how difficult the making it up part was.

"Uh, excuse me?" A new voice asked, making Laslow look up. "But who are you?"

The voice's owner was tall, with long red hair tied down his back.

"Sorry about that, my name is Szollás! I just got here, and the person who led me here said I'd be your roommate for now. I'm a dancer, and from what I hear you are as well, no?"

"That he is!" a second new voice said, this one feminine. A blonde woman pushed the man out of the way to reveal herself to Laslow. "My name is Madeline, and this is Terryl. So your name is Szollás then? And you can dance? I've had this one piece choreographed for a really long time that needs three people, but I've only ever had two to do it. You wouldn't happen to pick up on things fast, would you?"

"Uh…" Laslow trailed off.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now get up off that bed and come with me, you have a new dance to learn!" The woman grabbed Laslow by the arm, yanking him to a standing position. "Follow me!"

Thankfully Laslow had hidden his letter so no one would find it, but that wasn't what he was expecting within his first 10 minutes of settling in.

"W-wait, where are we going?!"

"You'll see!" Madeline giggled, running toward some unknown place with Laslow in tow.

Behind them, Terryl just sighed.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I said the next chapter (aka this one) would have battle. There's no battle. But I have a complete outline for chapter 19, and I promise battle actually happens there. That, and something that advances the plot. Because I realized after writing this I haven't really gone anywhere, even though I think it's important to explain how things ended up as they are, so I want to get a move on. Right now I've been keeping up with inktober, so I hope to keep up with NaNoWriMo next month and get a 50,000 words done for this story. With how crazy things are I don't know if I'll succeed, but I'll at least make an attempt. Thanks for sticking with me.**

 **Originally published October 11, 2017. Word count: 5,237 without author's notes.**

 **Eruran out.**


	19. Convergence

**Author's note: Happy New Year, everyone! It's been a while. A while, a while. I had a bit of writer's block, which I'll explain at the end. This is the longest chapter I've ever written though, so yay for that? On a side note, Dancer Laslow never came home. None of the performance units did, actually. I'm still sad. On a different, happier side note, I got into my dream university! No more college apps to worry about! Woohoo! Once again thanks for sticking with me, and without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

Half an hour after she left the Opera House, Azura met up with Robin in the hotel he was staying at. He welcomed her brightly, but Azura didn't respond in kind. She was quiet, considering something Robin wasn't aware of.

"So, how did it go? Did you manage to talk Xander? Or even see him?" Robin asked, slightly worried at Azura's gloomy disposition.

"I didn't see Xander, but…" Azura reached into the bag at her side and handed Robin a letter. "He sent a messenger for me. The messenger handed me this, which is meant for you and Corrin. I haven't opened it yet, so I don't know of its contents."

Robin took the letter from her hand, turning it over to look at the thin, swooping letters that wrote out Corrin's name. His name was absent. "I can't contact Corrin while she's in the astral plane, but she should be back soon for the two of us to look this over." He took a breath. "Why say it's for me if my name is absent, by the way? Unless it was there earlier, but faded away in the glow of the city lights." Robin smirked, raising an eyebrow as a friendly gesture.

Azura frowned. "Don't joke around like that!" She gave Robin a slight glare, making him smile. His little joke had succeeded in getting rid of at least some of her bad mood. "I said it was for you because it probably is. Xander likely wrote this letter for the head of Corrin's army. Though he and our other enemies are likely aware of your existence, writing out 'Corrin and the mysterious white haired man who has been seen leading her troops' would be impractical. There's hardly the room for it on the envelope, either."

"I don't know, if he wrote in really small handwriting he could-"

"Robin."

"I'm just saying, if he wanted to be as accurate as possible he could-"

"Accuracy doesn't matter! Looks do!"

"Oh come on, he's a prince - royalty can't be showing incompetence!"

"Royalty also have an image of beauty to maintain. Writing that whole thing out would be ugly. Just 'Corrin' looks much better. Not to mention writing that whole long thing instead of 'Robin' shows greater incompetence and lack of knowledge than just omitting it."

"...You've got me there." Robin sighed, setting the letter down. "So, tell me - how was your stay in the Opera House? We have some time to kill until Corrin gets here."

"Well…"

* * *

By the time Corrin arrived, Azura had already finished her story. Robin had a feeling she was withholding some information, but he wasn't going to press. They hadn't forced him to give up every detail of his life. He wasn't going to force her to.

The reunion between Azura and Corrin was sweet, mostly due to enthusiasm on Corrin's part, so Robin stood by while they had their moment. It was short enough, so it only took a moment until Corrin was ready to open the letter. Robin read it aloud:

 _Dearest Sister,_

 _It has been a while since we last spoke on those plains, one turning against the other. I still don't understand why you didn't chose to return with us, your family, despite how much we've given you over the years. I know what brought you to us may have been wrong, but I promise that Camilla, Leo, Elise, and I love you just as we do each other. You're our sister, and our love for you has not and will not fade. If you wish to change your mind and join us, I promise I will do everything within my power to make sure Father accepts. Please consider it._

 _As for your current traveling companions, I'm slightly confused. Princess Azura and Jakob I saw with you on the field. The Hoshidans are trying to convince you to join them, so their joining you makes sense as a form of coercion. Gunter's survival is questionable, but he was your servant, as was Felicia. I've seen how strong the love Camilla has for you is, and it is only right that her guard stays by her side._

 _But the white-haired man who has been with you since sometime soon after we parted? The one claiming himself to be a tactician, who has been in charge of your forces since day one? Why him? By his dress I can tell he is no Hoshidan. Yet his clothes match no Nohrian region either, despite their similarities to a few styles present here. Do you know where he is from, or who he follows? What reason did he have for joining you, and why did you accept him? If you could not accept your family, why accept a complete stranger?_

 _I ask, dear sister, that you be wary of him. No one joins a cause without good reason, and I cannot see what he has to gain from joining you other than glory. Whether it is glory achieved through stealing credit for your accomplishments or glory achieved through assassinating you for whatever man he serves I do not know. I just ask that you watch him and protect yourself. From the success you have experienced his tactics must be of some high caliber, and a man like that is no fool. Whatever he's plotting may elude you. Though there is a chance he is doing this out of the good of his heart, it is unlikely, so be careful. You may not be at my side, but you are still my sister. I do not want to lose you entirely._

 _I've been speaking of grim things for quite a while, so it is time for me to move on. While I do value letters as a form of communication, I much prefer speaking in person. These past few days I've been caught up with business in a nearby town for a few days, which is why you're receiving my message in writing rather than spoken word._

 _Though I cannot say for certain exactly when I will arrive, I can say that I will leave this town by no later than the day of the performance. I wish to meet with you to talk more, so I would like to arrange a meeting at the large Moresian church located 20 minutes north of the Opera House. No services have been held in it for over two decades due to the religion's declining popularity, and no one goes inside either. The doors to the church have rusted shut, and it is impossible to get inside through them. Not to say entrance is impossible, though. Behind the church there is a small graveyard, including a few mausoleums. The one topped by a circle of wings is connected to the church by an underground passageway. Do not worry about disturbing the dead; no one was ever laid to rest there._

 _Go through the passage and enter the church by an hour after sunrise, and as long as I have arrived in town, I will meet you there. If I am not there and do not arrive within half an hour after you've entered the church, then please leave and return the next day. If I do not meet with you by the third day after the performance, then something has happened and I will not be coming. I hope that that is not the case, but given how chaotic things have been lately, it is possible._

 _There is more I wish to say to you, but I will save it for when we next meet. I love you, Little Princess. I hope to meet with you soon, and that you will come to reason._

 _Your brother,_

 _Xander_

Corrin, Robin, and Azura kept silent for a minute after Robin finished reading. He was the first one to speak up.

"I guess Xander doesn't trust me, then," he chuckled, nervousness showing through.

"That's not true!" Corrin tried telling him, grabbing Robin by the arms. "He's just worried for me. He was just… making it clear."

Robin nodded in an exaggerated motion. "Yes, he was making it clear that he doesn't trust me. Thank you for agreeing with me."

Corrin frowned. "That's not what I meant and you know it, Robin."

Robin shrugged, and Azura giggled softly. Both of her white haired companions sent the songstress a glare.

"What, it's funny!" she said, holding a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. "You two are acting like such children. There's no use arguing over Xander's opinion of Robin. We won't be able to change it until we see him, so our first order of business should be figuring out how we will meet up. Do either of you have any non-childish ideas to start with?"

The two replied in the affirmative.

"Given the size of the passage, getting a large force in and out will be a problem. In addition, I doubt Xander will bring a large group, since he's probably contacting us in secret. We should get together a group of no more than five to enter the church, and keep a handful of other troops outside the mausoleum to serve as a guard, just in case," provided Robin.

"Exactly," Corrin said, adding onto Robin's note. "I think we should go with a group of three rather than five, though. Xander has two retainers, so he'll probably bring them and keep his other troops outside. If we want to match him, we should probably send three inside as well."

Robin and Azura nodded in agreement.

"I was thinking you two," Corrin explained. Robin made a face to show his wariness, making Corrin continued. "I know Xander _might_ possibly by chance sort of not like you, but things aren't going to get better unless he meets you in person. And he likes me, so my presence should help keep things calm."

"What about me," Azura asked. "You expect Xander to bring his retainers, don't you? Surely they're strong warriors. And Xander's far stronger than anyone I've ever met, save possibly Ryoma. Wouldn't you rather bring a stronger fighter than I? Possibly Camilla? Not only is she strong, but Xander would at least hesitate to fight her, even if he didn't stop."

With her point made, Azura went quiet for Corrin to respond. The white haired princess took a second, making her point with a frown. "Well, I don't know. Xander is really… chivalrous. Or maybe a better word would be devoted. He is _the_ loyal knight, not just _a_ loyal knight. If it really came down to it, he would cut Camilla down. He wouldn't be happy about it, and he'd be stuck with guilt for a while, but he's never said no to anything Father has asked as far as I know. And he'd do anything to protect Nohr. I think having you there would be just about as good in terms of dissuading him from attacking us as having Camilla would."

"And if he really is as chivalrous as you say," said Robin, "then having Azura with us would be better. Hopefully he'll see the disparity in strength and decide attacking us is unfair and the wrong thing to do. And please don't take this the wrong way Azura, but you're nowhere near as strong physically as Camilla is. The difference between your strengths should help keep Xander's sword hand off Siegfried if all goes well. I don't think he's a man who gets pleasure from slaughtering people so far below him.

"Of course, I doubt he'd like to murder his sister either, but the power-sister thing probably evens you two out. And if Camilla was there she might distract Xander from his conversation with Corrin, which is the most important thing at the moment.

"So I second Corrin's choice. She needs to be there because she's the one Xander needs to talk to, I should be there because I need to get Xander's trust or expose myself to him or something, and you need to be there to keep Xander from attacking us and to help keep Corrin from freaking out. You've got a pretty calming presence, after all."

The songstress gave a slow nod, and Corrin smiled.

"Great!" Corrin shouted. "Now all we have to do is prepare for tomorrow. Should we go tell everyone the plan, then? So they can get ready for tomorrow morning?"

"Sound good to me," Robin said with a shrug.

"That would be fine," Azura added.

"Off we go, then!"

* * *

Once the sun had been in the sky for a little over 45 minutes, Corrin led her troops over to where the church was located. There was a small forested area nearby, where she sent most of the people who weren't going with her to stay until she returned. A few, like Camilla, her retainers, Kaze, and Saizo she had stand at the entrance to the mausoleum. The two brothers pointed out a few Nohrian soldiers hiding nearby, but Corrin had the ninjas stay where they were. Hopefully the Nohrinas would hold their positions rather than attack while she was inside. She wasn't absolutely certain they would, but she wanted to believe in Xander, so she left it up to chance. Robin wasn't the happiest about that, but as the technical leader of the group, it was her decision.

Burning candles attached to the walls lit up the passage from the mausoleum to the church. They were a bit eerie, and closer to their bodies than Robin would have liked, but a good enough light source. Xander or his retainers must have lit them on their way in. That, or someone else who heard of the plot and was aiming to kill them. Hopefully it was the former choice.

The walk to their destination didn't last long, and the three could soon see soft light hitting the dirt floor of the passageway. There was a ladder on the wall where the path stopped and the light filtered down. Robin put his hands on one of the rungs to begin climbing, but Azura stopped him.

"Let me," she whispered quietly enough the Nohrians wouldn't be able to hear them. "Xander doesn't like or know you, so seeing someone he doesn't have a relationship with, or has a bad relationship with, won't get us off to a great start."

"What if it's a trap?" Robin whispered back. "What if they attack the first person to stick up their nose?"

"Then I would much rather be me who is beheaded than either of you. Corrin is the leader of the army, and you're the main tactician. I don't want to die, but my death would have the least effect."

"But-" Corrin started to say something when Azura put a gloved hand over the other girl's mouth.

The songstress then began to climb the bars, Robin and Corrin waiting for her to call them up.

"Azura? Is that you?" Robin heard a voice, presumably Xander, say.

"Yes it is. It's a pleasure to see you again, Xander. It's been a while since we were together somewhere other than a battlefield. How are you?" Azura's soft voice responded.

"Just fine, thank you. I assume Corrin is waiting in the passage below, is she not? Pardon my changing the subject, but she is the person I came to see."

"Yes, of course. And she's where you say. I just came up first to make sure we were meeting who we thought we were, so I must apologize for the delay in seeing the one you wanted." Azura turned back down to where Robin and Corrin were. "You can come up now!" she called.

Corrin was the first one to get on the ladder and enter the main part of the church, Robin following once she had both feet on the church's wood floors. When he was about halfway out, the tactician heard a small gasp. All heads in the room turned toward the sound's origin, which was-

'Wait a minute…' Robin thought. 'Him too!?'

There, standing at Xander's side, was Inigo. His hair was grey and he was wearing a similar outfit to Severa when they met on the boat, but it was the same man Robin had come to know near the end of the wars with Valm and then Grima. Or at least, he looked like that man. Since Severa-turned-Selena was from 'The Future Past' timeline, this Inigo-turned-Laslow was probably from then as well. But either way, the man in front of Robin had to be an Inigo that had met him, no doubt. Selena had even mentioned Inigo was with her, going by the name Laslow, so it had to be him.

Inigo's reaction to seeing Robin drew the tactician back to the present, Inigo jerking back in shock. "W-wait a minute, you're-" He cut himself off, biting his lip. "Tell me, how is Selena doing? And I want either Azura or Corrin to respond."

All eyes turned to Robin, Xander raising an eyebrow but saying nothing. They then moved to Azura as she spoke up. "She's hidden somewhere outside the church with Princess Camilla and Beruka, If you're unsure of whether or not you can trust us, I think she would hear and respond if you yelled out loud enough for her."

Inigo took a moment to consider Azura's suggestion, based on the look he gave, but chose not to. "I see. Well then, it's not my place to be holding your attention. I apologize for the outburst, Lord Xander, Lady Corrin. I just wanted to make sure of something." The retainer didn't elaborate on what 'something' was.

Robin had an idea of what is was, though. Since Inigo (or Laslow, since if what Selena said was true then that was the man's new name) had come from the same timeline as Selena, that meant he came from a time in which 'Robin' had gone on a rampage and murdered everyone Laslow cared about. In which Robin was just Grima's puppet, and committed acts that you really couldn't forgive someone for. And since Robin now had red eyes, the only visual thing that distinguished him from Grima, he now seemed less Robin-like than the sane man Laslow had known. That spelled trouble. Selena must not have told Laslow and Owain- or Odin, was it? She must not have told them that there was a 'good' Robin walking around. So Robin going around red-eyed but friendly and for whatever reason not killing Selena would make no sense and confuse the hell out of Laslow. It would confuse the hell out of Robin, at least.

"And what is it you were making sure of?" Xander asked.

Laslow froze, biting his lip.

Robin took the chance to respond. "As you've probably figured out, I'm not from Nohr, and I'm definitely not from Hoshido. From what Selena's said, and what I assume Laslow has told you, neither are they. When I first met her, she recognized my coat as something from her homeland, and confronted me about it. Dragging me all the way down to the bottom of the ship wasn't what I was expecting but…

"Anyway, apparently I'm dressed in something from their homeland. Or from a place nearby that their families fought? If that's the way to put it? She didn't go into much detail about recognizing my coat or something. She just recognized me and kind of freaked out. I would too, if I was so far from my homeland I thought I would never meet a person from there again, and then suddenly saw someone from a rival country or faction or whatever it is. Unfortunately I don't really have memories of growing up in the country that my coat and stuff come from, so that wouldn't happen with me, but theoretically, it could." Xander didn't seem to be impressed at Robin's words.

"Er, so I'm guessing that's what's up with… Are you Laslow, or Odin? Selena mentioned she had two friends, but didn't give visual descriptions of you guys. Just names." Robin put a fake puzzled look up. Hopefully it was convincing enough.

Laslow immediately caught on to Robin's plan, responding: "Laslow, and yes, that's the gist of it. You're the only person other than Selena and Odin, who came here with me, that I've recognized as bearing something from my homeland. It's been a few years, so seeing something, especially something of a people that my own weren't on the best terms with, was shocking. It almost seemed like something out of a dream! For a second, I wondered if my waking and coming here this morning was all merely a trick made by my sleeping mind. And a terrible trick at that. Getting ready in the morning is tedious enough when you've so much armor and so many things to prepare; to have to do it twice would be a travesty!" Laslow laughed at the end, Robin giving a short laugh of his own.

"Oh man, it really would! Mornings are terrible. Who decided that the sight of the sun over the horizon was a good indicator of the time to wake up? Sleep is a precious thing, and no ball of light should have the authority to order me when to end it!" With a triumphant shake of his fist, Robin turned up his chin.

The ceiling of the church was beautiful. Stone carvings of angels and ghouls alike, resting on textured pillars complete with detailed vines and old oil lamps were present throughout the large opening. Stained glass was present at the top of the four exterior walls, as well as over the large space that separated the rows of cushioned pews from those without. Robin didn't recognize the scenes they depicted, but he could tell they carried the tale of some grand battle, and the birth of a hero.

There had obviously been a lot of work put into designing and constructing the church. If he had been a man to pray, he certainly would have loved to have attended services in a place as grand as the one he was in. Even as he was, someone who kept away from religion for the most part (the fanaticism of the Grimleal had lessened the appeal of religion as a whole, and the Church of Naga was not really up his alley either), he felt at peace within the place. If he ever returned to Nestra, he would definitely find his way back to the church at a time when he was alone, to just sit and think. Hopefully he'd have enough time before the end of the war and his return to Arit to do that.

"I'm glad to see you two are so cheerful this morning," Xander said, voice laden with an emotion Robin couldn't pinpoint, "but we have other concerns. We can either begin with what Corrin's goals are, or what yours are, sir tactician."

"My goals?"

"Yes. Your purpose. Why aid a woman from a country that is not yours fight a war that nears unwinnable? You do understand what could happen, do you not? The chances of you being speared on the battlefield or hanged in front of a crowd are much higher than the chance of you finishing this war still in control of your life. If the world still follows a path of logic, then your life will only be preserved by becoming a prisoner or fleeing. Neither of which I can see you wanting to do."

Robin nodded. "Well, it's a good thing this world _isn't_ following a path of logic, then!" A bit clichéd, but it would work.

"What?" Xander asked in confusion.

"Right now the two major armies of the world are struggling to defeat a girl with fewer than 100 men. Fewer than a quarter of that, even! What sense exists in that?" the tactician explained.

Corrin elbowed him. "Pst, hey Robin," she whispered. "Arguing with my brother really isn't the way to make him like you. Now isn't the time. You can try to sound cool later."

Robin frowned. He wasn't trying to sound _cool_. But he agreed anyway, before continuing. "But I understand what you mean. I've been asked why I decided to join Corrin before, and I haven't changed my answer: she was the first person I saw, and I had nowhere else to go. I was in a foreign land and knew nothing about what was going on. To me, the most logical thing to do was to follow the one person who offered to help me. And when I learned she was at war, I stayed with her because, while I'm not familiar with much, I do know how to fight. I know strategy, and I can use a sword and a tome. Maybe I could become a bookkeeper or something, but following Corrin seemed like the right thing to do. I don't think any other army would take me in. And I've been happy as I am, which is why I'm here. Does that work?"

Xander stared Robin in the eye, his height making Robin feel like he was being looked down upon. Xander was pretty intimidating, if he was honest. Robin had figured as much based off what Corrin had told him of the prince, but it was still unnerving. If Xander was to be the next king of Nohr, then he'd have to work on lessening the air of intimidation he gave off so he wouldn't be as feared as Garon was.

"It's odd, but it will suffice. Maybe that strange quality of sudden loyalty is normal in the land you come from. Would you say it is, Laslow?" Xander turned to the retainer, his face losing some of the hardness it had as the prince looked Robin down.

"I mean, some people are like that, but it's not exactly normal. It's more something that fits in a certain group of people that existed in my homeland," Laslow explained.

"Like the group that you and Robin belonged to?"

"Well Robin and my-" Laslow's eyes widened and he slapped a hand up to cover his mouth. "Err, what I mean is that I suppose Robin could have belonged to, uh, well-"

A distant explosion cut Laslow off. Everyone in the church turned toward the doors, which was in the same direction as the sound.

"We'll continue this later," Xander said. "For now, I'm going to investigate what that was. Laslow, Peri, let's go."

The prince rushed past Corrin, Azura, and Robin, dropping down into the tunnel and running toward the entrance. Robin and the princesses followed.

When they got out, Robin could see a plume of smoke coming from somewhere a mile or so away. It was a light gray, and wasn't thick enough to cause huge problems for anyone stuck breathing it in, but covered a large area. It was in the opposite direction than the Opera House, toward the port if Robin's memory was correct. Had someone conveniently chosen to raid the ships and supplies coming in while Xander and Corrin were meeting? Or was it some plot by the Nohrians to throw Corrin and her army off? Robin didn't know.

He looked to where Xander had run to ask the prince, but Xander and his retainers had already mounted horses and taken off toward the base of the smoke. Given the Nohrians were mounted, while Corrin's forces were mostly foot soldiers, she and her army would be arriving considerably later than Xander's troops. That could put them in a bad situation. So, Robin called out the soldiers hidden within the trees and ordered them to follow him, Azura, and Corrin toward the source of the explosion, hoping they'd be able to catch up before anything terrible happened.

If things went really well, then the troops they hadn't brought would also move toward the explosion site and meet up with the force Robin and Corrin had with them at the moment, but Robin didn't have anyway to send a message to ask the other group to. He'd just have to hope they did the smart thing.

* * *

When Robin and the rest of Corrin's forces arrived at the site of the explosion, which was the port as Robin has assumed, it was to find Xander facing off with a man in red armor. Both had their swords drawn, though they were far enough they couldn't hit one another in direct combat.

Based off the armor and outfits the people behind the red-armored-man was wearing, he was Hoshidan. Had they discovered the Nohrians' presence and lured them out with an explosion? That seemed overly destructive and didn't match what Robin understood of their war policy. From what he had read, and from what Takumi and Reina had told him, the Hoshidans tried to avoid civilian casualties whenever possible. This explosion had occurred at a busy port, and Robin had seen more than a few corpses before arriving at the spot where Xander and the other man argued. It didn't match up.

"Stop trying to avoid the blame! My troops and I were over by the eastern forest when the explosion occurred. When we arrived here, you and your men were the only ones present! How could we have possibly caused the explosion when we weren't even here to carry it out?!" Xander yelled, glaring at the red-armored-man.

The man scoffed. "How? You Nohrians have used distant magic attacks on my people for centuries. I've seen your special tomes and crystals dedicated to long range magic - your distance from the explosion when it occurred means nothing. And this land is on the Nohrian side of the border. How do I know you don't have a mage hidden in civilian clothing somewhere nearby? You and your king don't give a single thought to ending an innocent person's life. I have no doubt you'd readily sacrifice the people here to further your goals."

Xander's eyes narrowed. "And tell me, what would those goals be? What do I accomplish by murdering my own people? There haven't been any rebellions or revolts here. The people are living peacefully, and contribute a great deal to the health of Nohr's economy. Particularly this port, since it's such a central shipping center. I can see no reason why we would want to damage such an area. What strange and unreasonable explanation has your deranged mind conjured up to explain why we would do so?"

"Insults?" The man scoffed. "Of course you Nohrian pigs would drop so low. But don't think you can distract me. Scarlet thought there was an informant hiding within her ranks. They must have told you of my presence here, didn't they? And since you couldn't find me despite your greatest efforts, you thought the best way to draw me and my men out was to destroy somewhere central enough that I'd see no matter where I was in town. Is that not the case?"

"' _Is that not'_ \- that's preposterous!" Xander shouted back. "You Hoshidans stick out like sore thumbs around here. Had I sent men out to find you, I would have had no trouble at all. And I'm not so insane as to kill the people who informed me. That's not how you earn loyalty."

The other man frowned. "Oh, loyalty? What loyalty? From what I hear, a whole legion of soldiers abandoned you after a fight at sea. And hasn't your sister left to join the enemy as well? You Nohrians can't hold yourselves together, you're just-"

Apparently, Sakura had had enough. She ran up from behind Robin, yelling to the red armored man. "Big brother, please! Stop it! Stop arguing! Stop fighting! Nothing's going to fix itself if you two are so caught up with screaming at each other. The Nohrians didn't do it! They were with us! Please!"

The man, now identified as Ryoma if he was Sakura's older brother, didn't continue his sentence. He merely stared at Sakura for a moment, shocked. Takumi walked up to her side, but said nothing.

Xander gave a cynical chuckle. "You berate me for being unable to control a single sister, yet you've lost two members of your family to Corrin's forces. I'm not sure who should be holding what over who in this situation."

Ryoma turned back to Xander to say something, but another explosion made the men turn north. The explosion was relatively small compared to the first, but still caused a cloud of smoke and dust to form.

Clearing his throat to draw the two crown princes' attention, Robin asked the two a question: "Your forces are all here, right? As in, all the troops under your commands are with us, in sight?"

"Yes," the two replied simultaneously, before glaring at each other.

"Then how was there just an explosion all the way over there?"

" _He_ could be lying," Ryoma said. "It wouldn't be the first time a Nohrian tried to lure in a Hoshidan royal with lies to deliver them death."

A scoff from Xander. "I could say a similar thing for you. How do I know that your words are truthful, either? There's no reason for me to trust you, just as there's no reason for you to trust me."

Azura chose that moment to speak up. "Because it would benefit the two of you if you both were being honest. You're suspicious of each other as it is. Lying about any troops you may or may not have won't achieve a single thing. Only the truth will get you two anywhere."

"And what is that?" Xander asked. "If neither Hoshido nor Nohr are behind the attacks, then who is?"

Xander raised a good point. Nestra didn't have a standing military. Neither did any of the nearby nations, apart from the Wolfskin, who didn't use magic since they were taguel-like creatures.

So who _were_ the people behind the explosion?

"They don't have an official name, but they're the invisible soldiers," Azura explained.

...Well that made sense, Robin supposed, but how had she figured that out? And how did they get to Nestra from _that place_ anyway?

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Invisible soldiers? You're saying there's some mysterious third party out there made up of enemies we can't even see?"

Fourth, actually. Corrin and co. were the third.

"Yes!" Corrin exclaimed. "I know it sounds crazy, but they're out there, and their goal is to make Nohr and Hoshido turn on each other so you guys will be weakened by war, and then they'll have the chance to take over. That's why they made the explosion! You two started fighting once you saw it, just like the invisible soldiers planned. So it wasn't Nohr or Hoshido behind it, but someone who wants to cause trouble. And right now we need to focus on beating them and saving the town."

"..." Xander took in a deep breath, looking over to where Camilla was standing somewhere behind Corrin. Beruka and Selena were at her sides, both attempting to look as emotionless as possible. Beruka was a blank slate, and while Selena was somewhat more expressive, she was still relatively straight faced.

He then spoke. "How do you know these invisible soldiers exist? If they're invisible, wouldn't they be impossible to see? And how are we to fight these invisible soldiers? Fighting enemies whose chests and faces are open to attacks is hard enough for many. Fighting and defeating an enemy whose body you cannot see seems near impossible."

"They're not entirely invisible," Corrin responded. "They don't have completely solid bodies like you and me, but they have this watery outline that's filled with a sort of swirling purple-pink smoke that is usually thick enough you can figure out which limb is which. You can at least always see where they are, with that. And whenever they take a blow, they solidify into an almost completely opaque form."

"Wouldn't 'transparent' soldier be a more fitting designation, then? Or rather, 'translucent?'" Xander asked back.

Robin nodded. "I second that. Xander's right, there." Xander's face softened slightly, into a small smile. "They're not really invisible, so maybe we should re-"

"Do we have the time to waste speaking of this?" Ryoma asked, frustrated. "If there's a new force out there destroying the town and killing its citizens, then we need to go out there and stop it, not chat about what we should call it. I'll take the east side of town. I'll meet with you again once the soldiers have been taken care of. If they actually, exist, that is. Since Takumi and Sakura are with you, I'll believe your words for now. But if I reach the site of the explosions and discover that your words were false… I want to trust you, Corrin. We're siblings. But I won't allow my people to be hurt because of a lie. I'll continue this conversation later."

As Ryoma turned to address his men, Saizo and Kagero ran to his side. "My liege," Kagero said, "please wait for us."

Saizo bowed, then began to speak. "We've travelled with Corrin these past few weeks because we were in search of you, but now that we've found you we're ready to be at your side again. Please tell us what you need us to do, Lord Ryoma,"

"Of course," Ryoma replied. He then explained his plan to the troops he had with him and set off, leaving Corrin and Xander's forces at the port.

"We'll be taking our leave as well," Xander said, watching as Ryoma went on ahead. "The Hoshidans have taken the East side, and my forces will take the West. Can I trust you to make your way through the middle?"

"Of course, Xander. Leave it to us." Corrin gave a firm nod, prompting a nod from Sander in response before he and his troops charged off in the direction he'd indicated.

Camilla's soft laughter behind them caught Robin and Corrin's attention.

"To think," Camilla began, voice barely above a whisper, "he wouldn't even stop to say hello to his blood sister."

Corrin looked guilty.

Camilla walked up to her, putting a hand on Corrin's head. "Oh don't make that face, darling. Xander's always been so devoted when it comes to battles. He tends to shut everything unrelated to fighting out. Though it would have been nice to speak to him, I'm glad he's doing well enough to act as he always has. I was worried our departures or betrayals or whatever you would call them would change him for the worse. If they have, he's at least able to put on a show, and that's enough power for me."

Camilla laughed again and left to mount her wyvern.

"Like she said, don't worry about it Corrin," Robin said, ruffling Corrin's hair. "It's time to fight, so just focus on the battle and think about family stuff later, as hard as that may be. Got it?"

Corrin nodded. "Got it."

With that, the group set off, and the battle began.

Thanks to the help of Xander and Ryoma's forces, the battle went much smoother than the last ones Corrin's forces had engaged in. With the East and West taken care of, and the water that separated the walkways and parts of the port from one another, they didn't have to worry about any side attacks. Or, considerably fewer, at least.

Where the group ran into trouble was when they got a few minutes into the fighting. The first of the invisible soldiers they had fought had been mercenaries and mages, which while annoying and still dangerous, were not a considerable threat. Past those troops, however, came big trouble. There was practically a wall of armored units blocking Corrin's path. And where there weren't armors, there were literal walls. Corrin's army didn't have the supplies nor the time to scale them, so their only option was to defeat the enemies and keep going through. The problem was, they didn't have good forces to deal with the armors.

The best way to kill a general or a knight was to use magic or an armorslayer. At the moment, Robin, Hayato, and Orochi were the only offensive magic users they had, and Orochi was back in the astral plane with Hana, who'd woken had a high fever for the past two days and was too sick to be on her own.

That meant Robin, Hayato, and whoever had armor piercing weapons were their group's best bet.

"Hinata!" Robin yelled, grabbing the samurai's attention.

"What's up?" Hinata yelled back, running over.

"Did you grab the armorslayer off Hana before we left?"

"..." Hinata froze. "Oh yeah… I was supposed to do that, wasn't I. Whoops?"

Robin bit his lip in frustration.

"But don't worry about it!" Hinata assured him, "You've seen how strong I am. Armorslayer or regular katana, I can do major damage to those knights! No worries!"

Hinata left to cut down another mage, leaving Robin sighing.

'Damnit. I should've known better than that. I should've checked everyone's weapons before the battle. Or before we left, frankly, since I was occupied before battle and we wouldn't have had enough time.'

That meant sword armor-killers were out of the picture. Gunter had a hammer on him if Robin's memory served, which would be a big help. Not on Gunter though.

An axe fighter came up to Robin then, swinging for the tactician's head. Robin simply sighed, ducking to the side and kicking the man's feet from under him. He was holding his tome rather than his sword, which meant his legs were the longest weapon he had available at the moment.

Putting his tome back into his coat, Robin drew his sword, stabbing the invisible (or translucent, thank you Xander) soldier in the neck. He jerked the sword right, cutting through until the sword was no longer embedded in flesh. The man hadn't been beheaded, as Robin's stab had landed in the middle of his neck, but the wound wasn't pretty and it wouldn't take much more to separate head from torso.

With a few short flickers, the man faded away, his form taking on a completely opaque form right before it exploded into a thousand droplets of water, most of which evaporated a second later.

What an odd corpse.

"Robin!" Selena ran to his side, long hair fluttering in the wind behind her. "What should we do about the armors? What's your plan?"

Maybe he _could_ get the hammer off Gunter. "We're going to split up into three groups, each with someone with an armor-killer at the front. Do you think you can find Beruka and get her to take the hammer from Gunter? There are three openings in the wall, each guarded by armors, and four armor-killers on us. One of the armors is a general, rather than just a knight, so I want her to fly overhead and get him from the back while one of us gets him from the front. Tell her something along those lines in case she needs to convince Gunter, will you?"

Selena blinked. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours. How you figure out things so fast. We've only been fighting for a couple minutes and you've thought that up, even though you've been concentrating on the battle as much as the rest of us. No wonder mother trusted you so much."

"That's-"

"Oh whatever, I'll go get Beruka. See you later Robin." Selena took her leave.

…That went surprisingly well. Especially considering he made that up as he said it. Looks like he wasn't a complete mess. Just sometimes.

As for there being a fourth armor-killer, Kagero had had a sting shuriken on her when she joined them. Though she'd left to join Ryoma, Robin was pretty sure she'd given it to Kaze at some point. And, looking over to where the ninja was dealing with a general, Robin was proven right.

Kaze held one shurkien in each hand, the metal giving off the teltale glow of their armor-killing property. They must have been enchanted in some way that let them do so much damage despite their small size, akin to the armorslayer swords of Nohr and Arit.

Kaze threw one at the knight before him, the shuriken piercing the soldier's breastplate. It must've made a notable wound as the knight stumbled momentarily. But they turned their lance forward and charged at Kaze anyway, who kept out of the way to dodge, throwing another shuriken. This one his the knight in the fabric of his armpit, left uncovered by armor as to allow for movement of the knight's arm.

The knight's grip on their lance faltered momentarily, the weapon's tip falling toward the ground.

Kaze took the opportunity to charge at the armor, swinging behind them and stabbing a shuriken into the top of their spine.

The knight crumpled to the ground, dissolving into water as the other invisible soldiers had. Three shuriken were left behind, which Kaze picked up and pocketed.

"Nice one," Robin called, approaching the ninja.

"Thank you, Robin, but it was no more than my duty," Kaze replied.

"Duty or not, it helps. And for a new duty, I'm going to need you to take on the general at the center wall. We only have four armor-killing weapons with us, and you've got one of them. Beruka should get here soon to be your backup. The plan is to have her attack him from behind as you take him from the front. Try to distract him by moving around if you can, but don't endanger yourself by getting to close to other enemies or baiting yourself so much that you're severely injured. Beruka has strong armor on, so she can take more blows than you can."

Kaze gave a quick bow. "I understand. What shall I do once we defeat the general?"

"Keep going north." Robin pointed in front of them, toward a tower up ahead. "The smoke seems to be coming from there, and I don't expect there to be more enemies much past that. If there are, then keep fighting. Just make sure you don't go anywhere you're not completely confident you can return from without long-term injuries. We want to save civilians here too, but we can save more in the long run the fewer casualties we have now."

"Of course. I'll try to meet back up with you as soon as possible."

Robin nodded, and Kaze ran toward where Beruka was flying, moving to get the wyvern rider's attention. Robin could see the hammer at her side.

'Next is Hayato.'

Thankfully, their portion of the battlefield wasn't too large, so it didn't take long for Robin's eyes to land on the boy. Between Robin and Hayato, however, were two creatures Robin had never seen before.

'Wh-what the…'

One of them resembled a large fox, dodging from side to side as it distracted a mercenary the other beast pummeled into a burst of water a moment later. And was the second one a beast. It was huge, standing on two legs but with arms reaching the floor, an open jaw full of long, pointed teeth, and claws he didn't want to meet with. Neither creature was flickering though, which meant they weren't part of the invisible army. So who and what were they?

The fox did a quick flip with the mercenary down, and suddenly transformed into a humanoid figure, standing on two feet. The larger beast was less showy in doing so, but they, too, transformed into something resembling a human.

Robin had yet to see any taguel in Archanaea. Maybe that's what those two were - this land's version of Panne and her brethren. Hopefully the situation was different, and there were more to the two's species than just them. Robin didn't want to learn of another massacre.

The two hadn't noticed Robin as far as he could tell, so the tactician began to approach them. As he got closer, he realized how hard they were breathing. The black and white one, who'd previously been the larger beast, was covered in the telltale burns of a thunder spell, while the fox one was bleeding profusely from a wound on his side.

Before Robin could reach the two, a volley of shuriken rained down on the two, catching them by surprise. The black and white one immediately transformed into his beast form, the shuriken hitting his fur but doing little to cut much deeper, while the fox was unable to transform before he had one shuriken in his side and another in the arm he used to protect his head.

The shuriken had been thrown by a trio of translucent ninja, standing on a half destroyed wall nearby.

While the fox ran for cover (or limped. Despite his transformation, the shuriken were still caught in his fur and body, meaning the creature did an odd hopping gallop to get away), the other beast charged at the ninja. Pulling back one of its huge arms, it punched one of the ninja off the crumbling wall and into another pile of rubble, ending the ninja's life. One of the other ninjas threw a shuriken at the beast's outstretched arm, which stuck.

The creature roared, throwing the same arm at the ninja that had just injured it. The ninja jumped off the wall to dodge.

Unfortunately for them, their dodge put them right in the range of Robin's sword. A second later, only one ninja was left.

Another second later and they two had been cut down by Robin, a splash of water on the ground being all that remained of their presence.

A flash of light or smoke or whatever it was arose at Robin's side, drawing his attention to the now human like creature at his side.

He was panting heavily, and his open shirt was ripped in several places. His ears seemed to be drooping slightly too, and combined with the way his hair was flattened to his face in several places due to water, sweat, and blood, they seemed exhausted. They also reminded him of a skunk. Same coloration.

The not-taguel's ears perked up. "Really?" he asked. "You think I look like a skunk?"

Oh no. Had he said that last part out loud?

"Uh, sorry if I offended you. I was just-"

"Hey, don't worry about it!" said man replied, straightening a little. "I love skunks! They're so dirty and messy, and they go everywhere. Not to mention they have such a nice coat. You've got a good eye, mister. What's your name? My name's Keaton. Oh, and I'm a wolfskin, in case you were wondering. You don't seem too familiar with my kind if the way you were sizing me up means anything."

"I'm Robin, and no, I wasn't. It's a pleasure to meet you. How did you end up fighting here? And here, I have an extra vulnerary. Take it." Robin took the potion out and handed it to the wolfskin, who downed it a moment later.

"Me and Kaden, the kitsune over there were in town because… we were visiting and not lost, when suddenly parts of the town began to break apart. Human towns are different than ours, but I know that's not normal, so we went to investigate. Then, those weird invisible guys started to attack us, and we've been fighting ever since. Speaking of we, where did Kaden go anyway? Kaden!"

Keaton sniffed the air a few times, stopping when he faced the direction of the rubble Robin had seen the fox run behind.

"Kaden, buddy!"

Keaton ran toward the pile, and Robin followed.

The fox was back in human form, leaning against the rubble and bleeding heavily. He saw the two and frowned. "Aw man," he said. "I look so not-good right now, and you're introducing me to someone new? I promise you I normally look much better than this. I'm not usually this dirty and bloody and… not beautiful. Really."

"That's not important," Robin said, turning his head to look around for someone with a staff. "Where's… Jakob!"

There, not too far away, was the butler, finishing off a foot soldier. As he put away his daggers, Robin shouted the butler's name, drawing his attention.

"Jakob!" Robin yelled again, causing the man to run over. "Your staff still has a couple uses on it, right? I need you to heal these two."

Jakob looked them over, raising an eyebrow. "A kitsune and a wolfskin? Why in the world would I do that? They're not even a part of our forces."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Because they're two people who have been helping fight the invisible soldiers, both protecting the townspeople and making our job easier. Please Jakob. What do you think Corrin would do in this situation?"

Jakob's breath caught. "...Lady Corrin would help them. She has such a bleeding heart, at times. Fine, I will. Now go. If I'm not fighting, then someone has to pick up the slack."

"Thanks Jakob." Robin smiled.

Jakob sighed. "You're welcome. Now go."

"Kaden, Keaton, you stay here and get healed. We'll talk again after the battle. Bye for now."

"Sure thing," Keaton replied with a wave. Kaden just nodded, Jakob leaning over the kitsune and casting a mend spell.

With that, Robin went back to finding Hayato.

It took a minute to locate the boy again, who was with Rinkah, fighting a trip of cavaliers. One caught sight of Robin and urged his horse toward the tactician. They were fried a moment later.

Hayato and Rinkah made short work of the remaining two cavaliers, Rinkah's club countering their lances with ease and Hayato's horse spirit distracting them long enough for Rinkah to knock them off their mounts and onto the ground. One was trampled by his own horse, both horse and rider evaporating at the cavalier's death. The other exploded into water after being run through by a spirit twice.

"Ha! That's what you get!" Hayato yelled, Rinkah expressing a similar sentiment.

Rinkah's prideful smile was full of confidence. She'd certainly had her way with the soldiers. Hayato looked much more disturbed.

"Hey, Hayato, I need you for a second," Robin said. Hayato approached him, and Robin leaned in so the boy could hear without Rinkah or anyone else catching his words. "Don't worry about these soldiers. Based off what I've seen, they can't feel pain. I don't think they're alive, either. You saw how they turned into water at their deaths. So don't get caught up in guilt. You're protecting people. Not just ending lives for fun or anything. Remember that."

Hayato looked taken aback for a second. He recovered though.

"Pff!" Hayato laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "As if I would be bothered by his! This is nothing! I'm no child, I'm just as prepared for this as you are. Don't concern yourself with me!"

The boy laughed again, his laughter dying off a little when Robin just stared at him and smiled.

"Good to see you can keep up a good face. Now, I need you and Rinkah to go to the western opening in the wall, guarded by the tall knight and defeat him. He has a few companions behind him if I'm correct, and we need your magic to defeat them in the most efficient way possible. I'm heading for the eastern wall if you need me."

"You can consider it done. I'll be done before you even get to your post," Hayato replied.

"Good. Make sure you watch his back so he doesn't get surprise attacked, Rinkah," Robin added.

"You got it boss," she said, prompting an upset 'hey!' from Hayato.

With that, Robin left for the eastern opening in the wall. Across the waterway he could see the Hoshidan troops fighting the Vallite soldiers. Ryoma and his men were holding up well, especially since they had quite a few diviners in their group to deal with the armored soldiers that came their way. The Hoshidans were better off than Corrin's group in that, at the very least.

Either word had spread among Corrin's troops, or they were smart enough to group themselves, but her army was now mostly split up into three, gathered around the openings in the main wall. Corrin herself was with Kaze and Beruka, alongside Camilla and Selena. Sakura, Subaki, and Jakob went with Hayato, while Takumi and his retainers joined Azura at the eastern wall. The rest of Corrin's army was near the wall, but had yet to choose which opening they were headed for. Or rather, Robin couldn't tell which one they were headed for at the moment. It didn't really matter.

At the eastern wall, Takumi was doing a good job of hurting the knights blocking their way, the arrows from his Fujin Yumi dealing heavy damage to their armor. Even though most of the hits hadn't pierced the armor, the knights' armor were severely dented. Hinata was using the dents to his advantage, swinging at them in an attempt to cut through and get to his enemies' chests. Oboro was having more luck with her naginata, which was better suited to piercing than Hinata's katana, but things were going well for the most part. Mozu was paralleling Oboro, mimicking the retainer's movements as she wielded a naginata she was mostly unfamiliar with due to her past as a farmer. Felicia was in the back, using her staff to heal those who needed it.

If he was being honest, Robin probably didn't need to do much to help the group. They were taking care of themselves on their own. But then Hinata tripped, and almost got his head lopped off by one of the knight's lances.

The only reason he kept his head was that Mozu had thrust her naginata out above him, blocking the blow. But the force of the knight's attack caused the naginata to snap, as metal met wood.

The naginata tip swung down, catching Hinata on the uncovered shoulder.

"Ghah!" He cried, rolling out of the way.

"Hinata!" Takumi and Oboro cried at once, stopping their attacks.

Takumi was at a distance, so his distraction did little to put him in extra danger. But Oboro was engaged with a mage, who then cast a fire spell, causing Oboro's clothes to go up in flames. She too dropped to the ground rolling to extinguish the fire that surrounded her body.

"Naga damn it…" Robin cursed under his breath, a small twinge in his temple arising. And things were going so well.

Oboro's rolling wasn't doing much to stop the flames, especially when the mage began to cast another fire spell to hit her with, so Robin ran in.

The mage was distracted by her spell casting, and thus didn't notice when Robin approached her from behind, sword going through her abdomen. He pulled it out, quickly casting a thunder spell he'd been preparing on his run over and kicking her forward.

The woman burst into water, the droplets falling in the direction she'd been kicked. Which, as Robin had hoped, was toward where Oboro was rolling. Thankfully she'd been rolling toward them at that moment and not away, which meant the water landed on her body, putting out the flames for the most part.

She continued to roll for a second before realizing her new, non-fire status, and rose. Before she could open her mouth Robin ordered her over to Mozu.

The farmgirl had frozen when her naginata broke, unsure of what to do. Then the knight kept swinging, so she snapped the weapon in two where the knight had broken it, and was using it to fend off what blows she could. One of the pieces she threw off to the side somewhere, but the one that held the blade she was using to stop the knight's blade from hitting herself.

It was impressive to see, but also bad news. As soon as the knight stopped swinging from above and started going for straight, stabbing motions, Mozu would be out of luck. The piece of naginata she held was not much more than the blade and a few inches of wood, which meant she could only really grip it with one hand properly. The second she had on top of her first hand, which meant she couldn't parry the knight's attacks well.

Robin hoped Oboro would get to the farmgirl before she ended up looking like one of her friends back in the village, if what she had told him about their massacre was true.

"Takumi!" Robin yelled, grabbing the archer's attention. "Grab Hinata and get him out of there!"

The samurai had yet to run away, which meant he was still in range of the knight and his companions. Takumi realized it too, and went to Hinata, dragging his retainer away from the battle the best he could. He brought her to Felicia, who quickly set on healing Hinata's shoulder.

With another curse, Robin began to charge another spell, aiming for the space behind the knight Mozu was fighting.

Just as Oboro blocked the first stab the knight made toward Mozu, Robin cast his spell, lightning raining down on the knight.

The knight fell forward, almost hitting Mozu before his body broke up into water. More water exploded out behind him, evidence that Robin's attack had hit the few soldiers waiting behind the knight as well.

Azura had also made her way toward Mozu, pushing a naginata into the girl's hand.

"Take this," the songstress said, "and use it to protect yourself. It's only brass, but it's better than nothing. I am sorry I cannot provide you with something stronger."

Mozu shook her head and tried to give the weapon back. "But what about you Azura? You need to protect yourself too!"

Azura smiled. "Don't worry about me. My job is to stay in back and sing for our companions. Yours is to cut a way through to victory. I'll be fine. Are you?"

"Y-yes," Mozu stuttered.

"Good. Now take it, and if you're so worried about my safety then return it after the battle."

Mozu nodded and rose, shaking slightly.

"Oboro, how are you?" Robin asked.

The woman frowned. "Burns are always terrible. Makes me think of those Nohrian dastards. But I'll survive."

"Make sure you see Sakura after the battle so you don't take lasting damage." Felicia was busy with Hinata, and Oboro and Jakob didn't get along whatsoever.

"I don't wish to bother Lady Sakura, but if you insist." Oboro wasn't happy, but at least she complied. She looked back over to where Takumi, Hinata, and Felicia were. "Who's going to protect them while we go ahead?"

"You can. Takumi has his Fujin Yumi, but you should stick behind just in case."

"Sure thing. I'm coming, Lord Takumi!" Oboro cried, a slight limp visible as she made her way over.

The main reason he let her stay was that Robin was pretty sure very few if any enemies were going to come for them from the south, and he was heading on north. Those who came could be dealt with by Takumi. He didn't want Oboro to strain herself.

Turning around, Robin was met by Kaze.

"I saw all the lightning and heard Hinata's scream, so I came to see what was going on. We cleared the general, and those from the west wall joined those who came with me from the center to deal with the enemies ahead."

"Thanks for checking us out. Hinata was hit in the shoulder, and Oboro burnt, but we should be fine here."

"Burnt?"

"Yes, she was attacked by a mage. Why, what's-"

Kaze moved past Robin, kneeling by Oboro. "Here," he said, holding something out toward her.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at it.

"Burn salve. You should still be cared for by a healer later, but it will help prevent lasting damage."

"O-oh" Oboro said. "Thanks."

Kaze stood. "My pleasure."

He went to Robin, asking the tactician "Should we be on our way then?"

Robin gave a short nod, and the two headed forward.

It was nice seeing the two on good terms like that. The show was also a little sad, though. Kaze must've kept that burn salve on him in case Saizo pulled one of his crazy self-sacrifice fire moves again. And now that Saizo had left him, he didn't have anyone to use it on. Not that Saizo had been gone for long, or that he'd left because of Kaze. But being abandoned by a friend, not to mention a brother had to hurt. Hopefully Saizo would join back up with them soon. Maybe after the battle?

Up ahead, Reina was firing at a berserker while Corrin stood by, waiting for him to charge the kinshi knight. When he did, Reina flew upwards, dodging his blow, as Corrin swung at his back. She managed a long cut across his uncovered skin, but the berserker quickly turned, his heavy axe coming down at Corrin.

She put Yato up to stop the blow from hitting her, and was pushed back slightly. Selena came from behind a mound of rubble, striking the berserker once more. The berserker stumbled, and Corrin dealt the final blow.

The two said something to each other Robin couldn't quite hear, and went into the building the berserker had stood in front of, Jakob and Beruka following. By the time Robin got to the entrance, the rest of Corrin's troops had finished fighting, all the Vallite soldiers in sight dead. Or dissolved. Disappeared. Gone, one way or another.

When Robin walked inside the building, he found Corrin speaking to Ryoma and Xander. Beruka, Jakob, and Selena were waiting a few feet away, as were Laslow, the woman that was with him in the church, Saizo, and Kagero. The last four were behind their respective lords, rather than by the door as the first three were.

Xander had his arms crossed, away from his sword's hilt, while Ryoma was using his hands to gesture, speaking as Robin turned his attention to the conversation. "And where is it that you say these invisible soldiers come from?" the swordmaster asked.

"It's complicated," Corrin tried telling them, looking down. "I can't tell you exactly where because of what might happen.

Xander wasn't satisfied by Corrin's response. "And what is it that might happen, Little Princess? Unless you're unable to tell us that either."

Corrin paused, holding her breath.

"Is it alright if I butt in here?" Robin began, walking to Corrin's side. "You saw what happened to the soldiers when you killed them, right? How they burst into water, and faded away?"

Xander and Ryoma looked at one another, as if to make sure the other had seen the same thing.

"Well," Robin continued, "let's just say that's an effect of their homeland. Corrin and I aren't completely sure how the mechanics work, but we do know of the damage that can come from leaving that place, or speaking of the specifics. How specific those specifics have to be to replicate what happened to the soldiers we aren't sure, but we don't want to tempt it. Knowing a name wouldn't help you either. As far as we've seen, there's no records of the place. And given speaking of the place is so destructive, we doubt its history would be written here either."

"Then what would you have us call their homeland? The kingdom of these invisible soldiers?" Ryoma asked.

"How about the Invisible Kingdom?" Corrin proposed. "Not only is it home to invisible soldiers like you said, but we can't find it on maps, so it's geographically invisible too. That and we can't talk about it, so it's… invisible…. to our tongues?" Robin could see Corrin cringe a little at the end of her sentence, but it made sense to him. A reasonable line of logic.

Xander uncrossed his arms, putting them behind his back. "That works well enough for the moment. But that creates an important question: How is it that _you_ learned of this Invisible Kingdom? If we cannot find it on a map, you have not seen any textual information on it, and specific word of its existence it cannot be spread by word of mouth, how is it that you became aware of its existence and its peoples' goals?"

"My mother."

Everyone turned to the building's entrance at the new voice, finding Azura standing in the doorway. She took a few steps forward.

"Xander, you remember my mother do you not?"

The prince said nothing.

"Tell me, did you recognize her accent? Or her style of dress, when not wearing traditional Nohrian garb? Did you recognize the stories she told you and I at night? The songs she sang to calm me or the other children when we were upset, or tunes she hummed when going about her day?

"Do you remember the terror in her eyes when she was asked to speak of the land she came from? Her silence when someone wished to hear of her birthplace; her refusal to speak a word of her former home? There was a reason for that.

"The Invisible Kingdom, where I was born… Mother was unable to tell me much about it, though she tried. I remember times where she began to break, slowly dissolving as she realized she'd crossed a line in her words. But she didn't want me to be left alone, so she stopped. Until finally, evidence of our homeland began to make itself known even in this land, where it shouldn't have appeared.

"My mother's final words were a desperate spill of information, trying to tell me everything she could about the Invisible Kingdom before she was taken away by the kingdom's curse, enacted by a ruler that neither she nor any other kingdom resident wanted in place. Not as he is now, anyway. You all have seen the kingdom's soldiers. Mindless beings who feel no pain and do nothing but fight until they've split up into the strange water that keeps their bodies moving despite their apparent lack of independent thought.

"My mother was worried that they would spread here as well, if their ruler made his way to this continent. And now that his soldiers have appeared and are fighting us, it's only a matter of time. Please, don't let my mother's death be in vain. Now is not the time to fight each other. We need to concentrate on the invisible soldiers instead, before Hoshido and Nohr end up in the same situation as the Invisible Kingdom."

'That would explain Azura's feelings on and knowledge of the matter,' Robin thought.

Corrin gave Azura a slight hug, pulling the woman to her side and putting her arm around Azura's waist.

"As touching as your story is, Azura… I need more evidence. I want to believe you, but I can't. Not yet. If I see more of these invisible soldiers, I'll consider what you've said in more depth. But for now, they seem like a tale looking for sympathy," Xander explained.

Azura clenched her fist. Selena and Laslow looked offended. They'd lost their parents as well, to a being others had doubted at first. Apparently in their timeline people had ignored several of the signs of Grima's return, from the time right before his resurrection to the several months after, before their own countries or towns had felt the effects. Hopefully Laslow would try to talk some sense into his liege later on.

Ryoma didn't look like he wanted to anything of the topic, so Xander changed the subject.

"What is it that Hoshido wants here, anyway? If you did not know of the invisible forces, and did not come to attack civilians? You didn't come here to make a path towards a Nohrian invasion, did you?" Xander's tone turned accusatory at the end of his words.

Ryoma's hand inched toward his sword. "I could say the same to you. Nestra is a neutral territory isn't it? What reason do you have to be here with a legion of soldiers?"

Xander's eyes narrowed. "In Nohr, it's common courtesy to answer a question you've been given before asking one of your own. But perhaps that tradition doesn't exist in Hoshido, so I'll be polite and respond to your inquiry.

"I came to Nestra to visit the Opera House here in Cyrkensia. I do it yearly, which you could find out by asking the Opera House officials or any number of locals here. And I have soldiers with me because I came directly from a negotiation session, where it's custom to bring a guard. As my intent upon coming here was to see the show, I did not want to miss it by travelling back in the opposite direction to have my men go home. Not to mention that it's customary to take at least a few troops wherever I go. You do the same, do you not?"

Robin looked over to Saizo and Kagero, the latter of which he could tell was holding back a smile (Saizo probably was too, but his mask blocked Robin's view). Because Ryoma _didn't_ do the same. Or he at least didn't always do the same. He must have collected some of his troops at some point, for there to be so many with him.

Then again, there weren't that many. A number of the troops with him actually looked Nohrian. But they were standing behind a wyvern rider who kept looking to Ryoma, so perhaps he'd made an alliance. Speaking of the wyvern rider, where had she gone.

"That seems reasonable enough. I don't appreciate your accusation, though. I came to visit for the port. Hoshido sent a few ships in this direction that never returned. I was checking to make sure nothing seemed amiss."

...Checking without a guard, leaving everyone including your siblings and retainers in the dark? Sure, Ryoma. You go with that.

A flash of red fell down in front of them. "What does it matter?" the flash asked, standing in front of the group. It was the wyvern rider from earlier, wearing a wide smile. "He's leaving anyway, as are you, so is there any point in fighting? There've been enough civilian casualties anyway, and I don't want to see any more. Let's just drop it and go home."

Xander gave her a quizzical look. "And who might you be?"

"Just a girl curious as to what a Hoshidan was doing all the way on this side of the Bottomless Canyon. My name's Scarlet, if you're really that curious. Don't you have places to be, and people to oppress, Mister Prince?" There was venom in the girl's voice.

"I don't go around willingly mistreating or oppressing people. My goal is to help the residents of my kingdom, not hurt them."

Scarlet sent Xander a glare. "Are you sure about that? Because-"

Ryoma cut her off. "Scarlet! That's enough." Scarlet took a step back. "Now then, we'll be taking our leave. My soldiers are tired from the battle, as are yours no doubt, and I don't want to take on unnecessary casualties by getting into a pointless fight. We'll speak again, Prince Xander."

"That we will," Xander responded.

Ryoma turned to leave, motioning for Scarlet to follow him. Saizo and Kagero did as well.

"Wait!" Corrin cried, the four of them turning. "Saizo, Kagero… Are you two really going with him? Is this goodbye."

Saizo was the one to respond. "Of course. Ryoma is our liege. We joined you to speed our journey to catch up to him. Though I cannot speak for Kagero, I appreciated your help, but it is time to move on. I've long ago pledged my life to Lord Ryoma. It is only right that I hold myself to that pledge. Thank you for your assistance, but it is time for us to part. Maybe we'll be reunited under the same flag in the future."

"I feel the same way," Kagero said. "I was originally your mother's retainer, but she personally appointed me to Ryoma's guard, and it would damage her memory to disrespect her orders. If things progress well, there will be no need for us to interfere with your path. Just don't place yourself in front of us, or I'll be forced to choose between my former liege's two children. And since I have only formally pledged myself to one… Good luck, Lady Corrin. I hope you choose the right path."

"...Thank you," Corrin said quietly. "And to Ryoma, please at least say hello to Takumi and Sakura. They've missed you. You're their big brother, and it's hard being away from your siblings for so long. I'd know. I've been cut off from almost all of mine."

"I will. Goodbye then, Corrin, Azura."

"Goodbye."

Ryoma, Scarlet, Kagero, and Saizo left the building, leaving the Nohrians and Corrin's troops. Who, with the exception of Robin and sort of Azura now that he thought about it, were also Nohrian.

"What will you do now, Xander?" Robin asked.

"There's no convincing you to join me, is there Corrin?" The prince addressed his sister, rather than Robin.

"I'm afraid not, big brother."

"Then I'll be returning to Windmire. Father has gotten… I can't think of a proper word for it, but I don't wish to leave him alone longer than necessary, or I feel our people may suffer for it. Something has come over him, and I fear little can stop him. My presence may abate his violence or or temper, however, so I feel the need to at least try and help the situation.

"Ever since your departure, he's grown more and more distant. I thought that perhaps your return would bring him back, but I doubt he'd be happy with a traitor in the midst. Even if this traitor did so because she was trying to stop some unseen calamity. With what I've seen, he likely wouldn't accept you either. Stay clear of Nohr for your own sake, Little Princess. I've no wish to see your execution.

"..." Corrin stayed silent.

"I don't wish to aggravate him by speaking of this pointless, questionable battle, so consider yourself lucky and don't worry about news of our encounter reaching Father's ears. I'll tell him I met with a band of Hoshidans looking for a route into Nohr if he asks, but will make no mention of you nor the invisible troops. I doubt anyone would believe such a fanciful story, anyhow.

"So goodbye, Little Princess. Don't do anything rash as to provoke armed response." Xander's face turned blank, and he began to walk toward the door.

"One last thing," Azura said. "On the day the skies change above Hoshido and Nohr, come to the suspension bridge above the Bottomless Canyon. You said you wanted more evidence of the Invisible Kingdom, did you not? That's where you'll find it. I promise."

Xander's steps paused. He turned for a second, not fully showing them his face but remarking "That sounds like a wonderful place for a surprise attack," before leaving their view. His female retainer followed immediately, while Laslow whispered something to Selena. She whispered something back, and Laslow took his leave.

"Do you believe he'll come?" Robin asked Azura.

"I have to, if this world is to continue on."

"Don't you believe that's a little overdramatic?"

"You saw the state _that place_ was in. I don't think I'm exaggerating in the slightest."

"..."

Commotion from outside the building drew Robin's attention, and he and the rest of Corrin's troops made their way outside to investigate.

"N-no, really, it's fine!" Sakura stuttered, shaking her head.

"No it's not!" Kaden insisted. "Your friend over there healed me when I was hurt, and protected me when those jerks with kitsune-killers came for me. I owe you guys one, so you have to let me come with you so I can pay you back!" Kaden motioned to Jakob, who looked in the other direction.

"Th-that's-"

"I second the motion," Keaton said. "If war's coming, then that means trouble's coming for me and the rest of the wolfskin. If you're fighting in the war and I can join you, that means less trouble will come for my people back at home. Plus, your friends helped me out, and I don't want to be in debt to someone during the war. Not to mention paying back debts is just the kind of thing you do. Come on, let us join you. We'll be big helps!"

Sakura kept stammering away, her banter with the two men making Robin smile.

"Who would've thought…" Azura murmured, looking at the the not-taguels with a dumbfounded expression.

"What's up?" Robin asked.

"Kitsune and Wolfskin are said to be polar opposites. I never thought I'd see the day they were not only keeping their claws away from each others' throats, but agreeing to something and trying to work together. The world really is going crazy…" Azura said in a whisper, still staring at the pair.

"Well, this form of a crazy world isn't too bad, if it means more people are getting along. Wouldn't you agree?" Robin asked.

Azura hummed. "I suppose so."

Keaton caught Robin's eye then, walking up to the tactician. "Come on, Robin. Don't you think we should join up with you? You saw how good we were in battle. Let us come with."

Robin looked to Corrin with hopeful eyes, and she shrugged. When his eyes met Azura's, she gave a slight nod. Sakura's head was still down when he looked to her, so he went back to the two new men.

"It looks like we will. Welcome to the team, you two."

"Pretty cool," Keaton said.

"Awesome!" Kaden cheered, doing a small fist pump.

Robin nodded in response, as Camilla walked up to his side.

"And our group grows even larger," she commented, smile on her face.

Robin crossed his arms. "That it does. Did Xander say anything to you?"

Camilla's smile, almost ever present on her face, faltered for half a second, before being replaced by something much more fake. "Oh, just a few things. About how I'd failed my mission and turned traitor. That he didn't expect two of his sisters to betray him, and that he hoped I'd see the light of day soon. Simple stuff, really."

"Camilla…"

"Oh, don't you worry. Like I said before, that's just Xander being Xander. It's good to know he's still the same despite what's going on. And, I probably deserve it anyway. I _did_ abandon him. But it was for my sweet, darling little Corrin. So I'm happy. Just being by her side is good enough for me. And I know I'll get Xander back eventually. It just might take a little while."

Camilla laughed, and Robin frowned.

As he went to check on Hinata, he could've sworn he heard her whisper under her breath, "I just pray that we get him back before he's done something he can't forgive himself for."

* * *

 **Author's note: Okay, so do you guys really want battle scenes? Because the reason it's taken so long for this chapter to come out is that I didn't want to write the scene/couldn't come up with ideas. Dialogue and scenery and thoughts come easy to me, but battle scenes are really, really difficult to write. They're just not fun for me. If you want me to keep putting detailed battle scenes in, then I'll do my best, but are you guys okay with shorter scenes sometimes? I don't want to get caught in a 2-month long writer's block because I can't write a scene. Seriously. Everything before the last page break I had written on/before November 5th. The rest I wrote these past 3 days. I won't cut battle scenes out entirely, just shorten them a bit, to about this length. Leave a review with what your thoughts are, please!**

 **EDIT (12 hours after posting): Thank you L2X for your review. My original plan was to integrate Keaton/Kaden introduction, but in the end (as in the original post) I went for putting it at the end, which I wasn't really satisfied with. Now I put some more stuff in the middle, which is hopefully better! It was about a thousand new words of content, so hopefully it works at least a little better.**

 **Originally posted January 1, 2018. Word count: 12,857 not inluding author's notes. New, post edit word count: 13,869.**

 **Eruran (I'm probably changing my name to Mariyekos soon!) out.**


	20. Best Friends

**Author's note: Welp. Here I am. Nice to see you guys again. So I planned out this chapter last month. Or at least, the beginning and end. Then 4 days ago I went to the wiki to make sure I wasn't forgetting new characters and realized I'd skipped an entire chapter. So my outline was useless! Not entirely. I'll use it for the next chapter. But here we are, with something after a long pause. This chapter strays from canon events a lot more than my usual chapters do, so I hope you guys that have been asking for variety like it! Mostly because I wanted to get on to the next chapter and didn't feel like spending so much time establishing everything needed to follow canon events, to be honest. This chapter is also a little messy on emotions so I might fix that eventually, but for now I'm ready to move on. So without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"So, where to from here?" Keaton asked, sitting across from Corrin in the mess hall. "I joined you guys to do ya a favor for saving me and help in battle. I love eating, don't get me wrong, but we don't seem to be doing much of the battle stuff I signed up for. Isn't there some big bad dude you need to be getting rid of?"

"There is," Corrin replied. "I'm just trying to give everyone a chance to recover from the battle."

Keaton frowned. "It's been almost a week. I know you humans can be dainty compared to us wolfskin, but isn't that a little long even by your standards? I mean, you have staves and potions and stuff that we don't. And nobody seems to be sleep deprived at this point so… What's the hold-up?"

"Well…" Corrin looked away.

"Strength," Robin butted in matter-of-factly. "Did you catch any of the fighting Prince Ryoma or Prince Xander were a part of back in Cyrkensia?"

Keaton scoffed. "Did I? 'Course I did. Those guys were total powerhouses. The red guy - that one's Ryoma right? - sliced through his enemies like it was nothing, even with all that heavy armor on his back. That's way faster than I could ever go. And blondie absolutely crushed anyone who got in arm's length. I'm not sure even I'd want to go toe to toe with him. And strength's my best asset!"

Robin nodded. "Exactly. They're strong. Stronger than anyone we have here." Barring himself, of course.

Or hopefully. Robin hadn't actually tried to use his full strength more than once since he arrived. He could've beaten the two (at least on their own) back at the time of the fight with Grima. But after having spent so long without really pushing himself? Maybe he'd lost some of that strength.

...That was dangerous. If he got himself into a situation he thought he could get out of because he was relying on his full strength, but that full strength had diminished over time, he would be in some real trouble. He'd have to find some way to test his strength soon, to gauge where he was. Years at war had honed his skill, but time off or fighting at a weaker level sure wasn't continuing that trend.

"Not only are Xander and Ryoma strong on their own, but they've got armies at their back. Hundreds and thousands of men and women and other people who could easily overwhelm us. It doesn't matter if every single one of us is stronger than any one of their troops. Fifty will lose against a thousand. And the numbers are even more unbalanced than that.

"We've been lucky so far in that we haven't had to face the full might of the Nohrian or Hoshidan armies. But that luck's going to run out sooner or later. So we need more troops. Unfortunately, we don't have the largest pool to choose from. The best we can do for the moment is to strengthen ourselves individually. But we're at a bit of an impasse as to how we're going to do that.

"For now we're staying here to come up with a plan of action. Figure out what routes we can take that will prevent us from being ambushed or caught in a spot where we can be easily outnumbered," Robin explained.

"I guess that makes sense," Keaton said. "But how are we gonna get stronger if we sit here messing around instead of fighting?"

Robin sighed, looking to Corrin. He'd said the same thing to her two days prior. But she'd refused to send people out, and it was her army, so he'd listened. Hopefully this new voice would convince her.

"Who are we supposed to fight then?" Corrin asked. "Ryoma or Xander's troops? Brigands? Mercenaries? Faceless? I don't want to lose anyone because we were trying to get them some fighting experience."

Keaton paled. "I didn't mean we have to do anything that's gonna get anyone killed! I just meant we should do something other than sit around!"

Corrin looked upset. She stood, voice rising. "Well that's what's going to happen if we-"

"Darling sister," Camilla said, drawing the attention of Keaton, Robin, and Corrin. "What's got you so on edge?"

The malig knight had only just entered the mess hall, unseen by the three people occupying it before her. She crossed her arms, sending a harsh glare at Keaton. She threw in a little one at Robin too, but it wasn't as harsh.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Corrin replied.

"Oh honey, if it's gotten you so riled up your cheeks are red, it's surely something that deserves my worry." Camilla walked over to Corrin, holding her cheeks. "We're sisters, aren't we? Sisters tell sisters their problems. Even if I can't help, which I hope isn't the case, I want to have the opportunity to try."

"I can get behind that," Keaton commented. "Pack-mates are always there for one another. We always got one another's back. So let your sis help ya out. Cool your head a little."

Corrin sighed, removing Camilla's hand.

"They're strong, aren't they? Xander and Ryoma?" Corrin asked to no one in particular.

"Mm, yes they are. Ryoma I can't say much about, but he did _almost_ match Xander on the battlefield, so he's no pushover. And our dear brother is one of the strongest men I know. No - _the_ strongest. One day you'll see him using his full strength. It's one of the most marvelous things I've ever had the honor of seeing. Watching as he cuts down his enemies, Siegfried piercing through mages and crushing the armor of knights and cavaliers in his way. To think one man could wield such strength is amazing. And to know that it's my - that it's _our_ brother is even more impressive. Don't you think?"

Corrin nodded. "It is. I just wish I was that strong. But I don't know how I'm supposed to do that. How I'm supposed to catch up to him."

Camilla hummed. "Well, you could start by following in his footsteps for one."

"And how am I going to do that?" Corrin asked. "That will take years! I don't want to have to stay his enemy for that long!"

Camilla giggled. "Well, you don't have to do everything he's done. But there are a few ways to get power that are faster than others."

"Like what?" Robin asked. The conversation might've been between Corrin and Camilla, but he was getting curious.

"Like visiting the Rainbow Sage."

"Rainbow Sage?" Robin and Corrin asked at the same time. Keaton had snuck out of the room while the sisters were talking.

"Yes. He's a wise man who lives in Notre Sagesse that's said to only meet with the powerful. To gain an audience with him you need to pass an intense trial, after which he'll reward you with great strength. Or at least, that's what I heard. To this day, only four people have ever passed the sage's test," Camilla explained.

"And who are these four?" Robin asked.

Camilla listed them nonchalantly, "Oh, the expected lot. The late King Sumeragi, the much younger King Garon, some knight that's been long forgotten, and Xander of course."

Corrin's eyes widened. "Did Xander tell you anything about the trial or the Rainbow Sage?"

Camilla shook her head. "Nothing significant. He went off one day to see the sage, and came back looking much the same. He had more of a thoughtful look to him I suppose. But all he said was that he'd passed the trial, and that he was a stronger man for it. Nothing more. A little disappointing if you ask me."

"I can understand feeling that," Robin said. "You get to talk to one of only four guys to ever do something and he doesn't even give you so much as a hint to what went on? I know I'd be dying for information!"

"So do you think if we visited the Rainbow Sage, he'd grant us strength too? Maybe not enough to match Xander, but enough to help us on our way?" Corrin had a twinkle in her eye.

A laugh from Camilla. "Well, darling, it can't hurt to try!"

Robin frowned.

 _Actually, Camilla, I think it can. We_ are _going into a fight aren't we? Unless this Rainbow Sage has a strict no-kill policy. Even so, we're bound to get some injuries, and staves don't have infinite uses._

He chose not to voice his inner thoughts. Instead, he asked a new question. "You called the Rainbow Sage 'wise.' Do you think he might have any information on Izana's prophecy, or dragons, or whatever else?"

Camilla looked puzzled. "Izana's prophecy?"

Robin blinked. "Oh yeah, you weren't there for that were you? Sorry about that, a lot'd gone on lately and I mixed up the sequence of events a little. To make a long story short, we met with the Archduke of Izumo before we fought you, and he told us to 'go meet the dragon' among other prophetic things. Is the Rainbow Sage by chance publicly interested in the dragons and or the divine?"

"That doesn't sound incorrect. We can ask him after we clear his trial," Camilla responded.

Robin nodded.

"Sounds like a plan then. Do you want me to gather everyone so you can announce it?" Robin asked, turning to Corrin.

"If you will, please," she said.

Camilla started toward the door, turning around when she set her hand on the handle. "While you two are doing that, should I fetch us a ferry to get to Notre Sagesse? That's where the Rainbow Sage lives, and as it's on an island there are few other ways to reach it. It would save time to do it now rather than trying to secure one after we've managed to gather everyone up."

"Yes please," Corrin replied with a smile. "Thank you, Camilla."

"Oh it's nothing, darling. Anything for my precious little sister."

And with that Camilla was out the door.

"You take the west side and I take the east side?" Corrin asked Robin.

"Sounds like a plan. Should I send people here, or to the steps?"

"It's close enough to dinner, and only you, Keaton, and I have eaten anything. So here."

"Got it. See you soon."

"See you soon."

* * *

Roughly an hour later everyone had been gathered and briefed on the situation at hand, slowly dispersing as they returned to whatever they'd been doing previously. Neither Robin nor Corrin had anything planned for after the briefing, so they walked up to the steps at the north part of the castle to wait for Camilla and news on the ferry.

Everyone had been pretty open to their plan. No major concerns voiced, no end opposition. It was kind of nice having people agree.

Robin wasn't sure if it was just because they trusted in Corrin so much, or whether it was because they simply couldn't find faults with the plan. And if it was the second, was it because no one was experienced enough in strategy to see whatever small holes there were in the plan?

(Because there were faults, somewhere. Robin wasn't perfect. That's why he had Virion around, for one, back when he was still with the Shepherds. The archer was a great strategist, even if he called Robin his better. He wasn't afraid to point out mistakes or possible issues where he saw them, even if those concerns turned out to be unfounded in the end. It was part of the reason why Robin had told Chrom to appoint Virion in his place if anything were to ever happen to Robin, whether that was losing himself to Grima or falling in battle like any person could. When Virion had found out he'd been upset, as had Chrom, but Robin ended up having the two sign an agreement anyway.

Did that mean Virion was at the helm, now? With Robin gone, the Ylissean army was without a tactician. But then again, if all had went well the country would be at peace not war. Grima was dead- or at least, stuck in Archaea with Robin. The Fell Dragon had been their last opponent. So with him gone, there'd be no need for war, and no need for a tactician. Virion was probably off in Rosanne then, trying to fix the damage he could. Hopefully his people understood why Virion fled. Robin didn't know. He'd never so much as set foot in the territory.)

Whatever the reason for the lack of questions was, it had meant the meeting with everyone had gone smoothly, and that Corrin and Robin were left waiting until news on the ferry arrived with Camilla.

"Do you miss them?" Corrin asked, looking off into the distance, away from Robin.

"Do I miss who?" There were many people that could refer to.

Did he miss his blood family? Not particularly. The only relation he'd ever met was Validar, and Robin had killed the man twice. Not that he knew they were related the first time, but he did the second time and his only regret was that he was unable to stop the man from influencing him enough to hurt Chrom.

As for his mother… He missed her, in a way.

Robin didn't remember a thing about the woman. All he knew was that she'd taken him away from Validar when he'd been an infant. For that, Robin was grateful. But as terrible as it sounded, he didn't feel much of anything for her. Thankfulness he supposed. Some gratitude. Disappointment about not being able to get to know her better. And a little bit of guilt for feeling that way.

Did he miss his found family? Did he miss the Shepherds? Oh, what he wouldn't give to see Chrom smile again. To see Olivia dance and get flustered to the point her face was good competition with Cordelia's hair for brightest red in the room once she realized she was being watched. To hear Maribelle give Ricken lectures on proper mannerisms, and Cherche compliment Kellam's armor when he hadn't even realized the latter was in the room. He missed Henry's goofy if not extremely unnerving laugh, and the odd peace that formed when Libra and Tharja were in the same room, some unspoken agreement between thing making a slight tension that somehow never threatened to break.

"Your old friends from the army. Or the group you were in before," said Corrin, prompting a sigh from Robin.

"Yeah. I miss the Shepherds a lot. I wonder if they still think about me, and what those thoughts are. Are they mad at me for leaving them? It wasn't intentional. Or are they sad that I'm gone? Do I even cross their thoughts now? Or have they moved on with their lives, my name only coming before them when they're out and about and see a family of birds?" Oh Naga did Robin hope he didn't cause them any pain that made his friends do something they could regret. But he didn't know. A feeling of unease grew in his stomach. They were reasonable, right?

Corrin didn't let Robin's worries fester. "Oh come on, Robin, like anyone could forget you!" She stood up putting out a hand for Robin. He took it and she pulled him up. "Think of all the marks you've left on this world alone in the short time you've been here. I bet your name's been heard across all corners of the continent back where you're from!"

 _Probably across all corners of the world, actually. Getting into cross-continental wars can do that for you._

"No one that's made so much noise and gotten to know so many people can be forgotten just like that. Especially not someone as amazing as you. You've been such a pillar of strength for me and everyone else. I certainly won't forget you. And if your friends are really your friends, they're not going to be forgetting you either. Don't worry so much, Robin. Things will work out. I promise. Sooner or later you're going to meet up with everyone that helped you on your way and you're going to have a grand reunion. Hugs and 'welcome back' 'I missed you' and and all that stuff!" Corrin was optimistic. That was probably Robin's favorite thing about her. Sure she could be a pessimist at times, but she was quick to rebound, and her happiness was infectious.

Robin smiled. "I don't know how much of the 'pillar of strength' thing I have going on is due to my own successes, since you seem a whole lot better at the motivation and spirit thing than I am. But thank you for the kind words. It means a lot."

A laugh from Corrin. "Of course!"

The two looked out toward the edge of the castle, where the gates stood and a deep haze prevented them from making out any structures in the distance.

Did this castle exist as the only solid object in this plane? Was it home to what resided in the castle's walls and no more? Robin had no idea, nor did Corrin from his understanding. But one could still watch the sunset (or whatever it was that controlled light. There was no sun to see, just changing light, but it was pretty nonetheless).

So, the two kept standing, Corrin on her toes and Robin leaning against one of the walls by the staircase as the sky was painted orange, and the realm darkened to a state of night.

Five or ten minutes after sunset Camila reappeared, returning not only with her own possessions and retainers, but three additional people as well.

Robin blinked at the newcomers. One was a child, one was a tired looking armor knight, and one was what Robin presumed to be a fighter, dressed in bright colors and with a much too happy smile on his face. Who were they.

"Big sister!" the child yelled, jumping into Corrin's arms and pushing the white haired princess into a twirl. "I missed you!"

The girl let go after a spin and a half, backing up to stand with Camilla and the others who'd come with them.

Corrin blinked a few times, looking to Camilla for some sort of explanation.

"I tried to tell her to go back home," Camilla said, "but she wouldn't listen. I was hoping you could convince her to listen to me. Elise refused to go without at least talking to you."

"Elise," Corrin began, before being interrupted by the child who must've been Elise.

"Oh please Corrin, don't make me go home! I barely got to see you again! I don't want to go home now! And Camilla's with you, so I don't see why I can't come too." Elise put on one of the most impressive pouting faces Robin had ever seen. He thought Lissa was good at the puppy-dog act, but she had some serious competition with this new pigtail wearing blonde.

Camilla responded before Corrin got the chance to open her mouth. "Elise, this isn't a game. We're at war right now. This is far more dangerous than anything you've ever done. Xander and I have always returned, but that doesn't mean people can't be seriously injured or killed when they fight. Especially in a situation like the one we're in. Please darling, consider the situation. I don't want my precious little sister being injured because she got herself into something she didn't fully understand."

Elise deepened her pout. "But you joined!"

"And I had little choice," Camilla responded, crossing her arms. "I joined Corrin because I failed my mission, and wouldn't have been accepted back home. I didn't return because I knew I didn't have the option. But you do. You haven't done anything wrong. You can turn around and tell Father you were missing because you felt like running around the city. Don't mention us, and you'll be safe. Please."

Nothing was said for a few moments after that. The sisters were at a stalemate. Corrin chose to speak up rather than accompanying them in their silence.

"What was it that made you come here now anyway?" the middle sister asked. "Because we were somewhere you could get? Why not before? Why not after?"

Elise took a moment to think, and her pouting turned into a general frown. "Well, I didn't leave after this because I wanted to join you now, and I didn't want to wait."

"But why not before? Why now?" Camilla pressed.

Elise looked at the floor. "Well… Father's been acting really weird lately. And it's scaring me."

"Weird?"

Nodding Elise continued. "He's been saying a bunch of stuff that doesn't make sense. Before, he'd talk about not letting Hoshido win. Then a couple months ago it turned more into stuff about beating Hoshido. Then a couple weeks ago it turned into stuff about destroying Hoshido. And now… Now it sounds like he doesn't care about keeping Nohr well either. Like he wants Nohr to go down too. And it… It scares me. What's wrong with Father? Why is he saying all those things? Why doesn't he want to talk to me anymore! When he talks to me, why does it seem like he doesn't care who I am anymore!? I don't know what to do, Corrin!"

Elise started crying, and threw herself into Corrin's arms once more. The armor knight and fighter took a step forward, but Beruka held an arm out to stop them from moving further.

"So he's gotten worse," Camilla whispered under her breath, her visible eye closing.

"I don't know what to do!" Elise repeated, Corrin beginning to pet the girl's head.

"Shh Elise, it's okay, calm down."

Elise shook her head. "Don't make me go back!"

"That's…" Corrin was cut off by Robin.

"I agree."

Camilla opened her eye and Corrin and Elise stepped apart, looking toward Robin. Elise sniffled a few times as he began to speak.

"The battlefield is dangerous. Truly. And I don't feel particularly comfortable letting a child loose on the path we're taking. But her home doesn't sound safe either. From the way I hear King Garon is acting, I doubt whatever shreds of sanity he has left are going to stay with him much longer. At this point… I hate to say it to you three, since you are his kids," Or at least, two of them were and the third was a kidnapped girl raised under the guise of being his child, "but King Garon isn't going to be doing anything to help you three. He's a threat. If you really want to protect Elise, we can't put her back with someone like him. Maybe we could find somewhere safe in Nohr to put her, but for now we have to keep her with us so Garon can't try anything.

"Besides, as much as I hope Elise would be able to sneak back to the castle and pretend nothing happened, you've said King Garon has spies all across Nohr didn't you, Camilla? At least one of them must've seen her leave the castle. It's a real possibility one saw her meet with Camilla. Especially if the King's as paranoid as Camilla's made him out to be. He might've had someone track Elise, which means he'd know she's gone to meet with us.

"That's not a recipe for a safe reunion. So I propose we keep Elise with us for the time being. What do you two think?"

Corrin and Camilla looked at each other before Corrin spoke. "I say we do it."

Camilla nodded. "As do I. I feel much more comfortable keeping Elise out of that man's hands than I do pushing her back into them."

"That man?" Elise asked, brows furrowing.

"Yes." Camilla let out a sigh. "You're young, and I don't know how much of the old Father you remember, but when I was a child he wasn't like this. He wasn't so obsessed or twisted. The King Garon that's here today… I didn't want to admit it, but Robin's words have made it so I can't deny it any longer. The man we call King Garon isn't the man I grew up with. He's not the Father that I once knew. He's just a cruel man living off the profits from others. I only hope we can get the real Father back from him."

Elise wiped some of the tears from her eyes, and let out a small, slightly pained laugh. "Yeah," the blonde replied, "I hope so too."

The three sisters hugged one another, Robin hanging back. Then after a moment he clapped his hands together.

"Now then!" the tactician shouted, "I believe introductions are in order! My name is Robin. I do some of the strategy stuff for our rag tag army. I take it you're Princess Elise right?" Robin gave a small bow, sending Elise into a fit of giggles.

"You've got that right!" she responded. "But drop the princess. I'm happy I am one, but friends don't need to worry about long and boring titles and all that stuff, so just Elise is fine." Elise then gestured to the two who came with her. "These are my retainers. The girl in the pink armor is Effie. We used to play together all the time in the city, and we're still friends! And the guy dressed like a superhero is Arthur. He's pretty unlucky, but he's also pretty nice, so don't worry about it."

"Nice to meet you," Effie said in monotone, giving a small wave.

"It's a pleasure to finally see your face, O great strategist!" Arthur bellowed, jumping forward to shake Robin's hand.

Unfortunately, Robin was still standing by the steps, and when Arthur landed his foot ended up half on a step, half in the air. As such, the retainer fell headfirst toward the stairway, rolling down and hitting his head twice before stopping face on the ground.

"Uh…" Robin didn't know what to say.

Arthur raised one arm, giving them a thumbs up. "I'm okay! Just a minute!"

Elise just giggled again. "Oh Arthur!"

...What had he gotten himself into?!

* * *

Dinner that night had been an interesting affair, with introductions having taken place and various objections and cries of support sounding to Elise's joining the army.

Reina had pointed out Elise's age, saying she was too young to be on a battlefield. Beruka surprisingly spoke up, pointing out that Elise wasn't that much younger than Sakura. Then Rinkah laughed about how Hayato was probably younger than the both of them, to which he responded with a fit about not being a child, and how he was almost fifteen thank-you-very-much. That meant he was older than the two, but also lead to the revelation that Sakura was only fourteen, and Elise wouldn't be fourteen for several months. That was… younger than he was expecting.

Sakura had an odd combination of an air of maturity and air of childishness about her that made her age hard to determine. He'd thought she was fifteen, but as she was younger than the fourteen year old Hayato that wasn't the case. Elise looked about her age, but he'd placed her slightly older based on accomplishments. Then again, she acted younger than her accomplishments suggested, so that should've clued him in.

There was also some murmuring about more Nohrians joining the group from Oboro and Takumi's side of the table, but Sakura quickly quieted them down. In the end it was decided that Elise would be allowed to join so long as she did her best to stay out of the main combat zone until she proved herself. After dinner Sakura was to go and give Elise pointers on using festals since they had better range than the staves Elise was used to. Other than that, things were relatively peaceful.

...Then again, when there was that much chaos, was calling the night peaceful even remotely sensible?

The morning, by contrast, _was_ actually peaceful. No arguments, no issues with gear.

The ferry Camilla had arranged for would be departing at noon, but Robin had everyone up and ready to leave the astral plane by an hour after sunrise just to be safe. He'd learned from experience not to trust being in the middle of town to ensure his safety, so everyone traveled armed well enough to protect themselves even if it meant drawing extra attention. He didn't want to be caught off guard.

The group's weapons did catch the attention of the city guard, however. Two of them.

One was a large armor knight who seemed a bit… timid. Like he didn't necessarily want to hurt them.

The other was a scantily clad woman who made Robin feel like Tharja's outfit was modest.

How could she fight in that?! Sure, there wasn't much fabric to restrict her movements and that might give her some sort of advantage. But extra movement wasn't too spectacular if it meant exposing oneself to the point a single hit could bring you down!

Most mages wore cloth robes. Which, while reinforced to some degree with magic, were certainly weaker than armor when it came to protecting their wearer. But that meant they could only take a few blows before they died or needed healing. This woman didn't even have that much fortification! Was she asking to be killed!?

"...Excuse me," the bear of a man said, stopping the group. "Where do you think you're going, armed like that?"

"We're trying to board a ferry set for Notre Sagesse," Corrin answered truthfully. "We'll be out of your hair in no time, sir."

"Sorry missy, but we can't just let you pass," the female guard said. "Not only are you armed, but you've got Hoshidans with you. That's pretty suspicious. We're going to have to detain you."

"Detain us?!" Corrin exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Whaaaaat?" Elise groaned. "But we need to go! Come on Corrin, you can't just let them stop us!"

Corrin shook her head. "What do you expect me to do Elise? I don't want to start a fight."

"I didn't finally meet up with you and Camilla just to sit around with a buncha border guards all day! I want excitement!"

The female guard's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute…" The guard looked at the group before her. "Elise and Camilla as in _the royal family of Nohr_ Elise and Camilla?"

"And Corrin! Corrin's our sister too!" Elise said with emphasis.

"What about it?" Camilla asked, walking to the front of the group. She looked the border guard up and down, who proceeded to look Camilla up and down. "You used to be stationed at Cheve, didn't you? We've spoken once or twice in the past, I think."

The blood seemed to drain from the female guard's face, before an extremely cheerful smile appeared on her face.

 _Oh no. I know that kind of smile. That's like Tharja's 'normal girl' smile. What does this woman have planned?_

"Oh my goodness, I am _so_ sorry for not recognizing you at first! You'll have to excuse my partner Benny and I for not finding and helping you lovely folk earlier. My name is Charlotte! Is there _anything_ that I can do to assist you on your way? You wouldn't happen to be in need of extra protection would you? I'm more than ready to swing my axe for you, and I'm sure Benny wouldn't mind fighting to protect your _sweet_ royal heads either!" The female guard, Charlotte, began blinking in an exaggerated fashion, as if to emphasize her sweetness. She even put down her axe and clasped her hands together near her heart, putting on a dreamy face. It was a bit unnerving.

Well, at least to him. Several of the townspeople nearby were practically drooling over the woman. No, scratch that. Several of the townspeople were _actually_ drooling over the woman. That was kind of gross.

"Well, we are looking for more fighters," Corrin supplied, looking to Robin. He gave the princess a nod. "We're leaving Nohr for a little while, and might end up fighting some people you know on our way, but if you want to join us then by all means feel free."

Charlotte's face lit up. "Oh, goody! Before I join you I must ask - how's the pay in this army?"

Corrin's face fell slightly. "Oh… Well, right now it's so-so. Probably not much better than what you get at your current job. I'm not really sure what average army pay is? But I promise we'll give you a big sum after the war! And you'll always have a job with me if you need."

Elise nodded. "Yeah! I'm a princess, so I've got a ton of money back at the castle. Don't worry about anything, I'll make sure to pay you for everything you do and more! Cause that's what princesses do!"

Benny sighed, and Charlotte's face turned absolutely sinister for a short moment before it returned to the plastered on sickeningly sweet smile it bore before. "Oh _wonderful._ I look forward to our acquaintance and our future business endeavors!" She and Elise then shook hands, and the group was once again on their way, two new fighters in tow.

They made it to the pier unbothered after that, but the peace didn't last.

"You!" a new voice cried out. "I've finally found you, Princess Corrin!"

All heads turned to the left, where a Nohrian cavalier was mounted on his horse.

"Excuse me?" Corrin looked confused.

"You might've thought you could escape, but not under my watch! I have orders from King Garon to kill you. So I'm sorry, but I can't let you go any further. All these years I dreamed of a happy reunion between the two of us, but it seems like that can't happen. Best friends should be reuniting with happy words, not swords," the cavalier shouted toward them.

Corrin looked around as if to ask for help. No one moved.

Then she turned back to the cavalier, shouting over to him. "I'm so sorry, but… Do I know you?"

The cavalier was shocked by Corrin's words, to the point Robin was worried the man would fall off his horse.

"Do I.. What do you mean, 'do I know you'? It's me! Silas! Your best buddy! Your childhood friend! Did you seriously forget about me!?" The cavalier, Silas, was clearly upset.

"Uhh…"

"Not even a little bit?"

"Er…"

The cavalier threw his hands up to his face while Corrin looked to the ground with a guilty expression on her face.

"Should I help?" Jakob whispered from Corrin's side.

"Can you? I have no idea who he is and I feel really, really bad," Corrin responded.

Jakob took a step in front of Corrin and put his hands on his hips, standing tall. "To think our paths would cross again, Silas."

Silas looked confused for a moment before pointing to Jakob. "You were one of Corrin's servants back at the castle, weren't you!"

Jakob nodded. "And you one of her troublesome friends."

"You remember me, then?" Silas asked, patting his horse so it would take a few steps toward the group.

"And all the heart attacks you caused due to your exploits? Of course. How could I forget!" Jakob looked offended at the notion. "The stressed you caused me was certainly great. But, I can't totally hate you for it. After all, the joy you brought to Corrin's life was much appreciated, was it not?"

The butler looked toward Corrin, who just looked back. Jakob then narrowed his eyes, and Corrin's mouth opened in realization. She began nodding quickly. "Totally! The tower I was stuck in was so stuffy and as much as I loved and love jakob and the others, not having anyone else to talk to made me a little sad. It took me a sec, but now I can't believe I forgot you after everything we did together!"

Jakib gave a nod of approval as Corrin laughed nervously.

Either not sensing the situation or just happy, Silas gave a big smile.

"I knew the old Corrin was in there somewhere," Silas said. "I just had to do some prodding for our memories together to surface!"

Then the smile fell from his face. "But… Hurting a friend is hard. If you didn't remember then I wouldn't feel so bad, but now…"

"So you don't want to fight either, best friend?" Corrin asked, voice heavy with (faked, or at least exaggerated Robin was pretty sure) emotion.

"B-best friend?" Silas stuttered, guilt creeping up his face.

Robin decided to join the party with his own attempt at guilt tripping the cavalier. "To think you value the word of an old man who constantly tried to keep you from your own best friend over that best friend herself. Corrin had practically no one as a child. Yes, she had her servants, and the occasional visit from her siblings. But her real window to the outside world? The thing that made her feel like more than just some fancy decoration in that tower? That was you. You were what helped make her feel human. And now this? What kind of person does that?" Robin questioned, hoping his words would work.

Jakob scoffed. "What kind of person does that? No person does that! That abandonment, and the betrayal that comes with it is no work of a person. Those are the actions and intentions of a monster." The butler turned his body toward Corrin, who had brought her hands to her face, while turning his head toward Silas."When I was younger I values you for what you brought to Corrin. Now I see I was mistaken. How could I have been so blind?"

Corrin began to 'sob' between her hands, and Jakob put a hand on her shoulder to 'comfort' her.

"There, there, milady. I promise I'll make it up to you. I won't let this traitor injure you further. Robin and I, alongside your other _true_ companions, will make him pay. Isn't that right Robin?"

Robin tilted his head up dramatically. "Why, yes it is. That's what _real_ friends do after all."

Robin turned away from Silas and toward Corrin. He then leaned toward the princess and Jakob. "Do you think this is going to work?" he whispered.

"Only one way to find out," Jakob whispered back.

"Man, you guys are mean!" Corrin also whispered, moving her hands slightly so Jakob and Robin could see the disappointment in her face.

"The end justifies the means?" Robin proposed, shrugging slightly. Hopefully not enough that Silas could notice.

"Really?" Corrin shot back.

"..."

No, frankly. It was a convenient excuse in this situation, but the end did _not_ justify the means in many cases, if he was being honest. There were so many things in the wars he'd been in that he would've done differently, if he had the chance. Like the sea of fire on their way to Valm. Like his decision to cut off the supply lines near Thamos during the war in Plegia. Like so many small things that had caused suffering that wasn't deserved, and wasn't outweighed by the results of his actions.

"Come on, Robin, you're always telling us not to say things we don't mean. Don't hold a double standard!"

Robin sighed. "Yeah, got it. Sorry about that."

"Don't say sorry!"

"But you're right, and I-"

"No need to get guilty over something so small, really!"

 _But it's not that small. That's a common phrase and it's something I've fought myself over a lot. Something I think a lot of people need to talk about._

Jakib cleared his throat. "As much as I appreciate you two attempting to work things out, don't forget the situation."

Robin nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Jakob."

Jakob huffed. "I'm only doing my duty!"

The three separated and looked toward Silas. He appeared to be having some sort of heavy moral dilemma.

"Corrin, I-" Silas began, before cutting himself off. He bit his lip.

"Look," Corrin said. "I don't want to fight you. You're my friend. I'm your friend. If we fight, even if neither of us dies, there will be a lot of people hurt. I don't want to see that Silas, and I know you don't either."

Silas shook his head. "Yeah, i don't. But I'm a knight, and a knight has his duty. I can't just ignore the king's orders."

Camilla took the opportunity to step up. "Did King Garon give you those orders himself?"

Silas frowned. "Like I said earlier, I have orders from King-"

Camilla cut him off. "Did you hear those words straight from his mouth? Or were they delivered by another person?"

 _Is Camilla going where I think she's going? Because I'm pretty sure that's not how that works._

"My commander told me I'd been ordered to kill Corrin. But what does that have to do with anything?" Silas asked.

"Well," Camilla gave a devious smile, "that's the word of one royal, removed a few degrees. Here you have three royals, Elise, Corrin, and I, all telling you not to follow through with it. And we're being much more direct than the King was."

 _Okay that's_ definitely _not how it works. King Garon has a higher position than you and even if there are three of you that doesn't beat him out. And why would his words being delivered by another person lessen their weight? That's not how you do it back in Ylisse. Is that seriously how Nohr's political system works?_

Silas' eyebrows knit together. "But that's-"

Camilla continued, speaking over the knight. "Not to mention the fact that if you were to attack Corrin, you'd likely be injuring Elise and I as well. If you were to return to the castle having murdered us, what would King Garon think? What would the people of Nohr think? To hear that all three of their princesses had been murdered by some no-name knight? You'd be a murderer, and nothing more. Not some glorious hero. A murderer. Elise is thirteen. Are you really going to let your men cut her down just to get at Corrin?"

Silas went silent, and some of the troops behind him shuffled slightly.

Robin certainly wasn't expecting that sort of speech from Camilla, but he was certainly no expert on the woman. She was royalty, and even if she didn't normally speak out as she just had (not that Robin had any way of knowing), she was likely trained in doing so.

Part of treaty discussions, appeasement, and negotiation was being able to twist the negatives of a situation. And/or the actual laws. As long as you used enough truth and didn't declare the spins you put on real rules as concretely true, you were fine to say whatever. That's what Chrom said people liked to do, anyway. And from all the meetings he'd had the 'pleasure' of being a part of, it seemed true. Heavens knew he'd used the tactic a few times.

"Well?" Camilla pressed.

Silas took a deep breath.

"Put down your weapons!" he shouted, turning to face his troops. "You are not to harm Corrin or her troops!"

Robin blinked. That was easy. It involved some guilt tripping, yes, but no bloodshed. How convenient.

Silas turned back to Corrin. "I'm so sorry, friend. I really wish I had the opportunity to fight alongside you."

Corrin looked up. "You can, if you want. Fight with me, that is. We're looking for troops. So if you want to join…?" she offered.

Silas shook his head. "I'd love to, trust me. But what about my men? If I joined you right now, what would happen to them?"

"What will happen to them when you return to Nohr? You've seen us. I don't think Garon will be very happy about you letting us go," Robin explained.

If Garon was willing to kill his own daughter over her failure to defeat Corrin, there was no way he'd spare some random cavalier and the men who fought under him.

"I'll come up with something!" Silas shouted. "My troops and I have a pretty good relationship. We'll tell the King that by the time we got to the port, you were already gone. We think you might have taken a ship somewhere since a large group was reported boarding one, but since it was a private ferry no one knew where you were headed to. That should work."

"Are you sure about that?" Robin asked, voice full of worry. He'd heard of men being punished for not being fast enough finding the enemy. Particularly with Gangrel. And as he was known as the Mad King, and Garon was clearly insane, killing the messenger didn't seem out of Garon's realm of possibilities.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll figure it out." Silas gave a wave.

Before he could leave, Corrin called out to him. "Wait!"

Silas looked back.

"Thank you for everything. For being my friend, and for this. I owe you my life. If I can ever do anything to repay you, please don't hesitate to ask," Corrin said.

Silas looked at her blankly for a second, before his face softened into a warm smile. "Repay me? Nah. No need. Friends do friends favor. That's what friendship is about."

Corrin blushed at the words.

"Now then, I have to get going! Me and my troops have to circle around and do some stuff that makes it look like we're looking for you while you get away. The king doesn't have any spies in this city yet because of all the stuff that happened last week, but they could be on their way so I can't be too careful. See you later, best friend!"

Silas gave one last wave before riding away, his troops following him.

"See you later, Silas!" Corrin yelled back, waving as well.

"Best friends, huh?" Robin whispered, looking in the direction Silas taken off toward.

"Apparently," Corrin said. She then looked over to Jakob. "So, could you tell me a little about him? I still don't remember much about him at all. His name's familiar, but that's about it. But you sound familiar with him!"

Jakob raised an eyebrow. "I do? I thought that performance was terrible."

"Huh?" Corrin's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Jakob shrugged. "I mean I don't think I've ever seen that man in my life. Or if I did, he wasn't significant or impressive enough to last in my memory."

"What!? But you said-" Corrin exclaimed.

"Absolutely nothing specific. I would consider any one of your friends stressful or troublesome if they dragged you away from the tower, where I had orders to make sure you remained. You played along as well, didn't you?" Jakob explained it as though it was obvious.

Corrin wasn't happy. "Y-yeah, but that was because I thought you were being genuine and I wanted to help out! I figured we at least weren't lying so it would be okay, but that was _all_ false!?"

"Not false. Silas would've called us out if we were spouting lies," Jakob said nonchalantly.

"Lies, guesses, does it matter in this situation?!" Corrin cried, waving her arms around.

Robin laughed. "I mean, not really. Besides, if it was so wrong you shouldn't have participated. And don't worry so much. We'll probably see him again at some point, but not for another week at minimum so you have time to try to remember how you two knew each other. And he's a nice enough guy from the looks of it. I don't think he'll hate you for forgetting."

Corrin wasn't convinced. "But I told him I remembered. That's a lie."

"When people forget things, they don't like to admit it. Silas knows that. Everyone does. He'll forgive you, really!" Robin assured her.

"Whatever you say…" Corrin sighed.

With that, the group resumed their walk toward the ferry.

They boarded fairly quickly, Robin being the last one to step onto the deck, and departed for Notre Sagesse half an hour later. They had a Rainbow Sage to see.

* * *

 **Author's note: My original plan for this chapter was to go visit the Rainbow Sage. I was thinking "Oh yeah, they fight in the port with Keaton and Kaden, and then they go to Notre Sagesse!" Then I visited the wiki and saw that I'd completely forgotten Silas and Elise. Mostly Silas. Sorry buddy. Next chapter will be Rainbow Sage though. I might revise this note to say more later, but for now I'm tired and it's posting time. Oh there's probably typos in this. I'll fix them later.**

 **Originally posted March 22, 2018. Word Count: 8,047 not counting author's notes.**

 **Eruran (who knows if I'll ever bother changing to Mariyekos) out.**


	21. The Rainbow Sage

**Author's note: Fire Emblem 16 has finally been shown and given a name, Three Houses! Not the coolest name, but I'm for it. It seems interesting enough. I really wasn't liking the game at first, but the more I go over it, the more appealing it seems. I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out, but now I'm really looking forward to it! I actually finished this chapter last night but spent today going over and revising, so I hope this chapter's better quality than the last few. I realized while writing this that I'd been referencing something for a while that I plain forgot to include, so I hit writer's block for a while and was stuck. I've gone back and rewrote the first chapter by the way, if you want to check it out. I'll also be revising chapters two and three to fix things I plain forgot to include. That's for later though. It's been a while, so without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

While on the ferry heading for Notre Sagesse, Robin got to know his new companions a little more.

Charlotte had a dual personality, being quite nasty when with people she didn't care about, and kissing up as hard as possible when with people who had money. Particularly male people who had money. She wasn't always rude to people who were lacking cash, but coins made her talk, and coins made her happier. The main exception to the rule seemed to be her partner, Benny, but her circle of money-less friends could and would hopefully expand over the course of her time with Corrin's army.

Benny was the epitome of the gentle giant. Unlike Kellam, he wasn't hard to miss with his armor and stature, and his looks put Sakura and a few of the others off. He was pretty scary, if Robin was being honest. Well, if he just considered looks alone. Once he got the chance to talk to Benny, Robin found that the man was quite nice, and really, really loved animals.

More than once, a few birds landed on the ferry, resting on the vessel even as it sailed away from the direction they had been flying. When Benny noticed, he'd run below deck and come back up with little bits of fruit and a few handfuls of seeds, giving them to the birds which interestingly enough didn't fly away when he moved toward them. They could probably sense his kind aura or something. Benny certainly didn't look like he wanted to harm them, and since Robin was pretty sure he hadn't gotten the food from some below-deck kitchen, that meant that Benny was carrying it around with him, and that he probably fed birds fairly often. It was pretty sweet if you asked Robin.

When Robin had asked the man about it he'd gone silent and looked away, so Robin got the impression that the man didn't want to talk. At least, that he didn't want to talk to some stranger. The man spent plenty of time talking to Charlotte. Though, their conversations were mostly Charlotte talking and Benny giving short replies from the looks of it. Robin wasn't entirely sure, because Charlotte would stop talking whenever she realized someone other than Benny was nearby, but that was the impression he got.

It also mostly confirmed his suspicion that Charlotte's bright personality was just an act (not that he needed much confirmation. He'd seen her switch from annoyed to overly sweet in a split second when they first met). When Charlotte spoke with Benny (and didn't realize anyone was nearby), she dropped her shoulders and relaxed into a more laid back pose, letting her face fall and not worrying about the impression she was giving. She spoke freely, and Benny listened. With an old friend, there was no need to pretend. And constantly having to pretend to be someone she wasn't had to have been exhausting, so no wonder she'd drop the act once she was with someone who knew it was just that, and who she didn't need to impress.

Charlotte was probably going to be some piece of work while she was with them, but it looked like Robin could count on Benny to keep her grounded. He seemed like a nice guy, and Charlotte wasn't Tharja levels of excessive (and even then, Tharja had gotten along well enough with the Shepherds), so things would work out fine.

* * *

A day and a half of sailing later, the group made it to Notre Sagesse. It was a rather beautiful place, the trees and woodland flora surrounding the town vibrant. What Robin's eyes were most drawn to, however, was not the impressive show of nature's powers. It was the large fortress covering the side of the mountain which dominated the island.

Something about the island also felt… odd. He wasn't struck as soon as he set foot on the island, but the strange feeling had started a few minutes after, and was slowly growing in intensity from barely noticable to something that kept nagging at him. It didn't feel threatening though. Maybe it was just some remnant of a sigil or temple somewhere on the island that gave off enough of a magical symbol for him to catch on to it.

"I wonder how long this place has been around," he mumbled, looking at the old stone of the fortress, much of which was covered with ivy and moss.

"The fortress, or the town here?" Azura asked, her eyes also on the mountainside.

"The fortress has been around for at least a few hundred years. Some say it's nearing a thousand!" a new voice said, drawing Robin's attention.

The man who had spoken was old, heavy wrinkles set in his forehead and cheeks, and a long beard falling across his chest. He clutched a large staff as well, though the man didn't seem to be putting much weight on it if any at all. He was likely one of the island's older residents.

"And who might you be?" Camilla asked, stepping in front of Corrin.

The old man smiled, wrinkles at the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. "Oh, just an old man interesting in the gaggle of foreigners that have come to visit my island! It's not every day you see new people around here. And it certainly isn't every day you see both Hoshidans and Nohrians showing up together, getting along like they grew up side by side!"

Robin looked back at the group that had come with him. Oboro was arguing with Selena about something, Beruka was standing next to Hayato who looked like he was about to cry, and Hana seemed extremely offended by something Jakob must have just said based on his haughty look and her defensive position in front of Sakura. Camilla even started to get into a discussion with Corrin about talking to strangers of all things, distracting the two. In other words, the group wasn't getting along in the slightest.

Robin couldn't tell if the old man was an optimist, or just really unobservant.

The old man held a pleasant expression as he looked over the group, before turning to Robin. "But tell me young man, where are you from?" The man's face grew more serious. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

Suddenly Robin began to feel uncomfortable. "Well sir, technically none of us are. You said it yourself: we're foreigners."

"That I did. But they're at least from places that are relatively nearby. But you aren't, are you?"

"...I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Oh come one, young man! I may be old, but you can't put a veil over my eyes so easily! Miss long purple hair is from Nohr. Miss short pink hair is from Hoshido. The one with face paint is a member of the flame tribe, the young boy is from the wind tribe, the kitsune and wolfskin are from their respective regions of west and east sides of the canyon, and the woman in the maid outfit is a member of the ice tribe. The rest of your friends fit somewhere into those categories. But you don't. If I was younger and a little less wise, then I'd peg you as coming from Nohr. You didn't though, right?"

"..."

"You don't have to be so secretive young man. I'm not going to tell on you to your friends. If you want to keep a secret, I'm not going to force you to tell it. Just remember - when people find out you haven't been so truthful, they get upset. If you have a secret that could affect others, you should tell them sooner rather than later. People get hurt when they don't know things."

 _What's with this guy? Suddenly trying to get so involved with my life..._

"I suppose so, but..." Robin wasn't sure how to continue.

The old man winked. "You're waiting for the right time, right? Well you know what they say, there's no time like the present! So think about it young man. Maybe right before you go to battle isn't the time to start giving out your life story and secrets, but _after_ can be."

 _Right before you go to battle? What does he mean by that? We didn't come here looking for a fight, and even then how would he know about that? Though on second thought, we're all armed and dressed for battle, so it's not totally improbable he could come up with a thought like that without other information. If he's been sent to stall us so his companions can get ready for battle, though, that would be a problem._

"Ah, I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that," the old man added with a laugh.

Robin's eyes narrowed. "What, assuming we're going to fight because we're wearing armor?"

Hopefully that was the case.

The old man shook his head. "No, I mean the young man part. You're not as young as you look. Or at least, part of you isn't. Interesting situation you're in, really"

Alarm bells began to go off in Robin's head.

"What-"

Unfortunately, he couldn't fully voice his alarm as Corrin interrupted Robin, having just finished her talk with Camilla. "Wait, who's this? Sorry to interrupt, but you don't know already someone here, do you Robin?"

Robin looked back and forth at the old man and Corrin, before saying slowly "No, I don't. We just met…"

"Mm, And I'd gotten excited for a second, thinking I was going to find out about your mysterious past," Corrin said with a chuckle. Then, she turned to the old man. "Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you. My name's Corrin, what's yours?"

The man quirked an eyebrow. "What's mine? Now now, young lady, didn't your friend over there just warn you about talking to strangers? The first rule is to never give your name out to someone you don't know or trust."

Had the old man really been paying that much attention to what they were talking about? That was suspicious. But even ignoring that, why had he said _that_ before? That part of Robin wasn't so young. Could he sense Grima? If so, who was the old man?

"Oh come on, I'm not a child, it's fine," Corrin said, dismissing what the man had said.

"Maybe not compared to some of your friends. But you are to me! One of the things about being old is you realize that everyone's a child until they're at least thirty," the man responded.

Corrin frowned. "Thirty? I think that's a little extra."

The old man shook his head. "I wouldn't say so. Though, your group doesn't seem too immature. Maybe I should lower the age to twenty-five."

Corrin waved the man off, who sighed in response, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Robin grew more and more suspicious. The man still wasn't giving out his name, instead choosing to move the conversation to names.

Why wasn't anyone concerned with how he wasn't answering Corrin's question? With how he was directing the conversation where he wanted it to go, rather than where they did?

Robin directed his gaze over to Azura. She looked slightly concerned. Maybe she had picked up on the suspicious way the stranger was acting too.

Corrin took a deep breath. "Well, enough of that. You wouldn't happen to know where to find the Rainbow Sage, would you? We came here to meet with him, but all we know is that he lives somewhere on this island."

The old man chuckled. "Do I know where to find him? I know where the rumors point. Every time some new armored foreigner shows up looking for the Sage, they head to the top of Mount Sagesse. The Rainbow Sage is said to live in the upper part of the fortress, so you should head in that direction if you wish to speak with him. Be warned though - it's not an easy journey. Many people give up before they even get to the fortress' front steps, finding the climb more difficult than they had anticipated."

"That's fine," Corrin replied. "We're looking for the Sage because we need to get stronger. A little workout on the way is only fitting. Thank you for your help, sir."

"It's my pleasure, young lady. I hope to see you again soon!"

"You too."

The old man wandered away, leaving Robin and Corrin to gather the group and order them up the mountain. In case the hike up the mountain was unproductive, and just with the reason of getting information, Robin sent half the group to go explore the town. Fourteen people would go to the fortress, while fifteen would stay at the bottom of the mountain, talking to passerbys to learn more about the Sage and the island.

Camilla had said that Xander had only taken eight men with him when he met with the Rainbow Sage, so fourteen would likely be overkill. Still, it was good to be careful. That, and Xander and his troops were likely stronger than Corrin and hers. Not that Robin had ever had to fight against them, but it only made sense. Either way, they'd just have to see when they reached the top.

* * *

The walk was long and filled with chatter. Corrin was at the front of the group, Camilla and Jakob at her side, while Robin took up station at the back.

A few minutes into the hike, Azura dropped to the back as well, walking alongside Robin.

"He's right, you know," she said softly.

Robin frowned. "What do you mean about that?"

"I know we haven't known each other long, and I know you've shared bits of your life with us already. But I also know that there's more you're hiding from us, and that it would really hurt Corrin if she realized you weren't telling her the whole story because of a lack of trust. Whatever is going on with you may not be pleasant, but I promise you we aren't going to abandon you over it. Friends tell each other the truth, and stick by each other no matter how unpleasant that truth is, don't they?" Azura asked.

Robin shrugged. "Depends on who or what the unpleasant part revolves around. If I told you I'd spent the first fifteen years of my life on the street as a thief, stealing from anyone who passed by in an attempt to survive, you'd probably be able to brush it off. After all, though my actions would certainly not have been noble in that situation, they also wouldn't have been particularly malicious. Bad actions with justifiable intentions, in the end."

Azura considered his words for a moment. "I suppose so."

Robin continued, deciding to turn the conversation a bit darker. After all, he hadn't been a thief. He'd done much worse things than that.

"But what if I told you I'd performed bad deeds with bad intentions; that my actions had been performed full of malice? That I'd killed innocent people just for the hell of it? That I'd stabbed my best friend in the back even though all they'd ever done was try to help me? Would you still stay by my side then?"

Perhaps it was an exaggeration, or missing a few key pieces. But his words were based in fact, even if Grima was more the one who had done such things. And even then, Grima and he were together in the body called 'Robin' for the moment, so he couldn't particularly separate himself from the actions, even if not everything he'd done had been his own choice.

(Naga knows he wouldn't have ever hurt Chrom if he'd had the choice. He would've rather stabbed himself a hundred times than have watched the agony on Chrom's face as the man realized what had happened and felt the lightning piercing his chest)

Azura frowned, furrowing her brow. "I know it not to be true, so I see no reason to answer that question. Why you've turned so dark all of the sudden is beyond me. You're certainly a mysterious person, Robin. But I can tell you're no mass murderer. When we were in Izumo and the town was frozen, you ordered us to act fast to save the civilians. Yes, you said collateral damage was likely, but the people you ordered dead were the soldiers trying to hurt the civilians, not the civilians themselves. You're not the man to hurt innocents.

"And then take the amount of times you've risked yourself to save others. You're not a traitor or someone inclined to betray us either. The worst thing you've ever done to any of us was to stay silent. I feel like the only 'betrayal' you would do is leaving without saying a word. It would hurt, yes, but you wouldn't stab anyone in the back. Stop trying to demonize yourself, Robin."

Azura's voice was firm and full of confidence. Robin had to hold back a dark laugh.

He would never hurt innocents? Sure he tried not to. But she should've known better, especially bringing up Izumo. What kind of person was okay with that much collateral damage? Chrom wasn't. Not normally. Sure, near the end of the war his focus changed a little. Maybe he wouldn't have yelled at Robin for his actions, but he sure wouldn't have been the one to propose such actions.

Azura was right when she said Robin didn't want to hurt innocents. That _Robin_ didn't want to hurt innocent people when he could help it, and always tried not to. But she was talking about his secret. And his secret was that "Robin" wasn't just Robin. "Robin" at the moment was Robin and Grima. And Grima didn't give a damn about who got hurt. At least he didn't in the timeline he'd come from. Maybe the fell dragon had been a bit unpredictable since Robin had woken up in Canta, but he couldn't have changed completely.

Which brought him to the 'no mass murderer' point. Azura couldn't have been further from the truth. Robin doubted there was anyone that even got close to Grima's record in the land they were in. He hoped there wasn't, at least.

And as for stabbing someone in the back…

He supposed Azura was right about that. He hadn't, and he wouldn't if he could help it. But he had stabbed someone in the front. With magic. To the point that said man almost died, and would have died had he not known it was coming. Hell, Robin _had_ killed Chrom in one timeline. And even when he knew it was coming, he couldn't stop himself from attacking Chrom. Maybe Validar wasn't around anymore, and maybe Robin didn't want to do it. But that didn't mean he didn't have the potential. Grima was cooperating for the moment (well, at the precise moment he was silent, still asleep or in whatever strange condition his healing had inflicted on the dragon), but Robin didn't know what the future held.

There was also the fact that by stabbing someone in the back Azura probably just meant betrayal, not physical stabbing, based on her words, but doing the second meant the first happened to so he'd bring up what he could.

In any case, the statement that "Robin is a man who would never hurt innocents and never intentionally severely harm his friends" was very, very incorrect. So incorrect that Robin could feel the dark smile he was trying to hold back had crept up onto his face anyway. At least he kept the laughter from bubbling up.

...what was with the laughter, anyway? Was it due to Grima's influence? Probably. Now wasn't _that_ comforting.

When Robin looked back to Azura, he could see her unease. It was enough to make his smile slip away.

"I appreciate the confidence you have in me," Robin began, "but trust me when I say my past is darker than you imagine."

"But you do know it," Azura replied.

Robin stopped walking for a moment.

"Yeah, I do."

"So I take it your dream wasn't just a dream?"

"That it wasn't. At least, not as far as I know. I'm still not sure how I ended up in this land, but my 'dream' past is reality as far as I'm concerned."

"Are you going to tell Corrin?"

"Soon enough."

"Once we finish our battle, as the old man suggested?"

Robin began to walk again, and looked away. "So you were listening to our entire conversation?"

"I was," Azura said lightly.

"He was an interesting guy, wasn't he?" Robin asked.

Azura agreed. "Yes. Old but wise. Just like the Rainbow Sage, according to all we know about him."

Robin chuckled. "According to all we know about him? Old and wise _is_ all we know about him! You make it sound like there's anything more to the man."

Azura shrugged. "We do know he can grant great power,"

"That doesn't count," Robin jabbed.

"I think it does," Azura responded.

The two looked up the mountain, where the fortress was. They still had a ways to go. Almost everyone ahead was talking to someone though, so at least they didn't seem bored.

"Hopefully the Sage will be a little healthier than the old man, though," Azura commented about thirty seconds later.

Robin was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You can't tell me the old man we met looked particularly healthy, can you?"

Robin furrowed his brow. "Sure the man had a few wrinkles, but he wasn't that bad. That comes with age, not neglect of one's health."

Azura's eyebrows shot up in the opposite direction. "A few? Robin, his forehead alone held more wrinkles than you'd find folds in my dress, your coat, and Corrin's cape combined! And the man was hunched so far over I thought he might fall!"

"What are you talking about?" If Robin was confused before, he was absolutely dumbfounded at that comment. "Sure he leaned on his staff a little, but he was nowhere near relying on it enough to fall."

Azura stared at Robin for a good fifteen seconds before she found her words. "His staff? What staff? The man held his hands behind his back. He had no staff. Are we even talking about the same man?"

"Average height, long beard, green robes, right?" Robin provided.

"No, he was short, had no facial hair, and was wearing gray," Azura corrected.

"That's not the man I saw."

"But that's the man I saw you speaking to. Perhaps I only noticed the second man you spoke to?"

"I only talked with one person. And he held a staff."

"About holding secrets, and being older than you look?"

Robin nodded.

"...Robin, that man did not have a staff. Or a beard. And he was wearing gray."

"..."

"..."

"One of us is confused and I don't think it's me."

"Oh come on Robin!"

"What! I'm being honest. I know what I saw. Do you think it was an illusion?"

Azura sighed. "Why would some random old man use an illusion to greet us?"

"Maybe he wasn't just a random old man," Robin offered up.

Azura quirked a brow. "Oh? Then who do you think the man could be? The Rainbow Sage?"

Robin brought up his hands, elbows bent and palms facing the sky. "What other magical person would we find on the island?"

Azura gave it some consideration. "Good point."

Then the two stopped.

"Wait," Robin began.

"If that was the Sage..." Azura said after him.

"...then why would he tell us to go up the mountain and meet him in the fortress?" Robin finished.

The two looked down the mountain, to the village they had come from.

"I suddenly have this gut feeling that we will be ambushed once we reach the top" Azura said, her words deadpanned.

"Seems likely," Robin responded.

They both cursed under their breaths, and looked up to where the rest of the group was so they could go warn Corrin. Robin was pretty sure there was an ambush waiting for them at some point, but he didn't know when it was coming. Based on the feeling he'd gotten from the old man (Rainbow Sage?), he didn't think they would get attacked while still walking and stuck on a rocky incline. But he'd been deceived already, so he had no way to be sure.

The only problem was that Corrin was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it, how did we let them get so far ahead!?" Robin grumbled, starting to run up the mountain.

"We did pause several times to speak. And we weren't going very fast either," Azura supplied.

"I know but… I shouldn't have been so careless!" Robin shouted in frustration. He should have known better than to let himself get so distracted. The old man was important, but the Rainbow Sage was more important. Even if they were the same man. The Rainbow Sage part was more important, and they hadn't confirmed if the two were one and the same anyway.

There was also the issue of why Robin had seen through the illusion but Azura hadn't. Or vice versa. Either way, they saw two different men when they looked at only one, and that meant something odd was going on.

"Sh-should we tell… Corrin about… the Rainbow Sage… old man thing?" Azura panted, trying to catch her breath.

Why did they manage to fall behind at the steepest part of the path? And who made such a winding path anyway?

"Not yet," Robin responded. "We have to… make sure… before we tell anyone."

It wouldn't do to tell everyone something that was plain wrong. Better to keep their suspicions to themselves until they confirmed them. That and the Sage had to have been keeping a secret for a reason.

The two kept running, and after another three turns, saw Corrin and the others again.

"Corrin!" Robin shouted, making everyone stop. Corrin turned, and when she noticed how hard Robin and Azura were breathing, ran down to them.

"Are you guys okay!? What happened? Is someone coming at us from below?" she asked, worried.

Several people put their hands on their weapons, the sounds of swords being unsheathed and tomes being pulled out filling the air.

"Calm down, calm down," Robin dismissed, pausing to take a breath. "It's fine. For now, at least. Based on what we've seen, Azura and I think there is likely an ambush waiting for us at the top. We wanted to warn you before you charged in."

Corrin breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. At least, compared to being chased from behind. Do you have a plan for what we should do before we get there?"

"Not particularly," Robin said. "Everyone should be prepared once we get to the top. Don't just waltz in. Anticipate enemies, and take a short break just before we reach the entrance. That way we can catch our breaths and be ready for whatever comes our way."

Corrin nodded. "Everyone hear what Robin said?"

Affirmations from various people were heard, so the group decided to proceed.

Sure enough, the group was met by a strange man at the top who informed them they would have to fight their way to the top if they wished to meet with the Rainbow Sage. It wasn't the ambush Robin was worried about, but it was a fight, which was close enough.

"I should've known better than to think we'd be able to just walk in," Corrin said, sounding disappointed.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Corrin," Robin replied.

"I won't. I just feel silly. The Rainbow Sage only meets with the strongest people. If it was so easy to meet him, then there would be way more stories about him and the people he granted power. Sure the climb wasn't easy, but it definitely isn't enough to stop that many people from coming. I should've expected this." Corrin ran a hand through her hair and let out a small sigh. "Enough of that though! Is everyone ready? It looks like we're going to be fighting inside for a while, so be prepared to have walls around you that might mess with your ability to swing your weapons around or use your mounts."

"Don't forget the staircases either," Robin added. "On the way up I could see several different sections of this fortress going in opposite directions. I'm not sure how many staircases we'll have to go up, whether they're inside or outside, or if they will lead us on separate paths. But I am sure that we're going to be in more danger when we get on them since they impede our fields of vision and will split us up while we're going up. Don't count out being attacked before you finish making your way onto the next floor. I don't know what kind of honor code the Rainbow Sage or his men have. Just be careful."

"Got it."

Everyone readied themselves, and headed for the staircases.

They split up into four groups. While hiking up the mountain Robin had seen a few places where multiple staircases seemed to come out of the same room, so he assumed there would be a few places where they'd be forced to choose a path. Rather than missing out on one way, Robin figured it would be better to establish groups from the start. If they had to split up, then they would be ready. If they didn't, then there was no problem at all.

Robin took the first group, choosing Benny and Charlotte to go with him. Camilla, Selena, Kaze, and Elise made up the second. Takumi, Oboro, Mozu, and Sakura were the third, and Corrin, Jakob, and Azura were the fourth.

They started up the fortress and were split fairly quickly. It only took two floors for Robin's group to part from Camilla's and the rest, leaving only his team of three. Thankfully each room only held a few enemies, nowhere near overwhelming them, and Robin's group was able to proceed with relative ease.

Robin went up another floor. After defeating the enemies in the room, he spotted a girl in the back corner, edging her way toward the staircase. Charlotte and Benny continued on, not noticing Robin's pause.

The girl's presence was curious. How had she escaped all the soldiers so far? And why had she gone up the tower in the first place? Was she trying to meet with the Rainbow Sage too?

She made eye contact with Robin, and was the first to speak. "You don't seem to be allied with the odd soldiers who suddenly appeared here a little while ago. Unless you've betrayed them. But even then, it wouldn't be an alliance. So who are you?"

Robin was surprised. She didn't sound like he'd imagined she would. Not in terms of the pitch of her voice or something like that, but in how she spoke like someone who'd been through a lot, and had had enough. It was her tone that put him off, in other words.

"Depends on who's asking. I'm assuming you aren't allied with them either. You seem much more aware of yourself than they do, and are the only one not actively attacking. So you're part of a third party, then? We keep having people join us, so I guess it's possible you're some new recruit, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen you," Robin responded.

The girl nodded curtly. "It would be more accurate to say that I _am_ the third party, seeing as I comprise the whole rather than just a part. But yes, I'm neither allied with the soldiers you're fighting, nor with your group. What kind of group are you to have people joining without your knowledge?"

Robin chuckled. "An interesting one. Pieced together from whoever we could get to come with us." He motioned to the staircase. "Anyway, it's best you get out of here. I have to get going. My friends have gone ahead already, and I need to provide backup. It's not safe here for you."

"Not safe?" The girl looked irritated. "And why would you say that? I'm not some defenseless child. I'm an experienced mage, and I won't have some kid like you tell me I'm not good enough to protect myself against enemies like these."

 _Some kid? Who is she to call me a kid? She can't be much older than-_

"Wait," Robin began, "are you a manakete?"

The girl looked confused. "I don't know what a 'manakete' is, so I assume not. Unless that's some special term for someone who's been cursed not to age. But I doubt it."

"Cursed not to age? That's… astounding. Magic can really do that? Suspend someone in time, so they stay forever young. What kind of power does it take to perform a spell of that level?"

Nothing small, for certain. And it was probably magic of a dark type. The stronger a spell was, the more it took from the caster. As far as he knew, no one had ever managed to permanently pause their aging, primarily because it took more energy than they had. To do it would likely require the energy of multiple people. Possibly in the form of human sacrifice. Robin doubted the girl would tell him so soon after meeting, though.

"I'm not inclined to give out all the details of my life to total strangers. What's your name, anyway?" she asked.

"Robin."

"I'm Nyx. We should get going, then, shouldn't we? You seem interesting. I've spent a long time looking for a cure to my state, or at least for a way to see through it, and have looked through more books on sigils and symbols and crests than I could count, but I haven't ever seen the strange eye markings you have on your coat. After this we'll have to have a talk about it. Nothing I've seen so far has helped me, and I haven't seen that before, so perhaps the secret to undoing this curse lies with you and whatever group you've pledged your allegiance to," the girl said.

Robin paled slightly. "Oh. Uh, okay. That works. Let's get going then."

Nyx nodded. "Let's."

The two headed up the next flight of stairs, finding Charlotte and Benny already fighting the next group of enemies. Benny didn't look much different than normal, his armor having taken whatever blows were dealt to him without any major denting. Charlotte, however, was quite red. Not only was there a heavy flush on her face from exertion, but she was quite bloody. Wearing white didn't really help keep the bloodstains off. And when you swing that hard that close, it only made sense. That made Robin wonder how many copies of her outfit she had. Or was she just that good at getting out bloodstains?

"About time you showed up!" Charlotte yelled, bringing up her axe to block the sword of the woman she was fighting. Charlotte kneed the other woman in the crotch, making her enemy grunt, but not let go. Another kick to the woman didn't do much, as the sword slid off the edge of Charlotte's axe. The enemy woman drew her sword back and swept it toward Charlotte. But instead of the blow landing on Charlotte's exposed skin, it connected with hard armor. Benny had finished up with the men he was fighting moments before, and had gotten in the way of the enemy's blow, protecting his partner before she could come to serious harm.

Robin called up a lightning spell, sending it at Charlotte's opponent. The woman dropped her sword and fell, Nyx sending a spell of her own at the woman before she hit the ground.

Robin sent a glance toward the not-so-young girl, and she raised her chin.

Benny let out what Robin thought was a sigh of relief. "Be careful," he told Charlotte.

"Of course!" She exclaimed. Then, softer, "Thank you, Benny."

Benny didn't say anything back, simply nodding. The two made a good team.

"Interesting," Nyx commented. "So you're Nohrian, then?"

Charlotte looked the girl up and down, before putting up a smile. "And who would you be? You wouldn't happen to be a noble, would you?"

Nyx frowned. "Not at all. Once upon a time I belonged to a family of high mages, but no longer. I have no status, and no power except that I put toward my spells. Why do you ask?"

"Then you don't have money or standing?" Charlotte continued, ignoring Nyx's question.

Nyx's frown deepened. "I don't. And answer my question."

Charlotte's smile dropped into a scowl. "Sheesh, no need to be so pushy! I was just wondering. Can't a girl ask a question?"

Before Nyx could throw back a retort, Robin butted into the conversation. "Actually, I'm not Nohrian. Or Hoshidan, before you ask. I'm not going to elaborate on it now since we're still in the middle of a battlefield, even if we can't currently see our enemies. When the two of us delayed our ascent to talk, Charlotte was almost overwhelmed by an enemy we easily took down once we were all here. We don't want anyone else to be injured because of our delay. So let's get going, and help our other allies."

Nyx sighed, but nodded. Charlotte turned with a huff, heading toward the next staircase. Benny put a hand in front of her.

"Let me go first," he said. "Won't hurt as much."

"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked, concern evident.

Benny nodded, and took to the front.

They took down the next floor with relative ease, joining with Kaze to continue to the next level. He'd come into the room as Robin and the others had finished clearing it, looking to unlock the chest inside. Apparently the last room he'd been in had had two staircases, and the rest of his group had gone up the other one once they'd spotted their allies in the chest-room, figuring Kaze would be safe with them. It was nice having Kaze as an addition, as not only was there a spear in the chest, which they'd yet to find anywhere else, but they had another fighter to add to the crew. He and Nyx had somewhat of and odd interaction, but other than that they proceeded smoothly.

A few floors later, they met back up with the rest of the team in a room holding three staircases - one from which Robin's team entered, one from which Corrin and her team entered from, and the last leading to the next floor up. The members of Kaze's group were already in the room, having taken down the enemies inside with the help of a few other who had gotten to the room before either Corrin or Robin.

"Hey, Robin!" Corrin called, walking toward him. "How did things go on your side?"

"Pretty well," he responded. "We met up with someone new. Corrin, this is Nyx, a mage. Nyx, this is Corrin. She's at the head of our forces. We'll explain more later."

Corrin blinked, looking puzzled for a second before switching to a sweet voice. "Well, nice to meet you, Nyx. I would be really happy to talk to you later, after we're done!"

Nyx sighed, and Robin could swear he saw her eye left twitch. "It's nice to meet you as well, girl."

"Girl? Uh, I don't think-" Corrin was cut off.

"Let's not concern ourselves with that right now! Long story short Nyx is older than me and you, so make sure we all treat each other with respect and get on to the next room before more troops arrive!" Robin cheered, waving his hands slightly and pointing toward the staircase.

Corrin looked confused, while Nyx's expression didn't change at all. Although, maybe she did look slightly annoyed. It wasn't Robin's problem for the moment. He took the lead, going up the next staircase.

As soon as he stepped onto the floor of the next level, the figure who had greeted them at the bottom of the fortress stepped forward.

"Greetings to you. This is the highest floor, and your trial is nearly finished. I am the guardian of this place. Defeat me and prove yourself worthy. Only then may you proceed to the Sage," they said.

An onmyouji, several women on pegasi, and a few samurai readied their weapons.

"Robin, move! You're blocking the way," someone shouted behind the tactician. He stepped forward, and a few people filed in behind him. There wasn't enough room for everyone though, so only Takumi, Corrin, Azura, Jakob, and Elise made it in before Robin yelled down the staircase for the rest of the group to wait.

"Let the battles begin," he said under his breath.

Robin and Corrin moved forward, drawing their swords and going for the samurai. Takumi took aim at the pegasus knights, Jakob throwing daggers at Takumi's side and working alongside Azura to make sure no one hit the prince while he while he was firing. Elise kept to the back of the room, at the top of the staircase, using a physic spell on anyone that got hit.

The pegasus riders were downed in a short amount of time, Takumi's arrows ending the flight of their mounts. Corrin and Robin made short work of the samurai, the two's wounds healed by Elise before they could be significantly slowed. Jakob landed the first few blows on the onmyouji, Azura's song keeping him throwing until he was out of daggers.

When the onmyouji retaliated with an attack from his scroll, Azura stepped in front of Jakob, the magic knocking her back.

Corrin hit the onmyouji before they could cast another spell. Though the onmyouji didn't stumble, they couldn't recover fast enough to dodge an arrow from Takumi, which pierced through their chest before dissipating.

The onmyouji dropped their scroll.

"Well done... You have proven yourself worthy of moving forward. May you find that which you are searching for," they said, before fading away.

Once the onmyouji was completely gone, Elise and Jakob exited the room to get the others. Those who stayed in the room looked toward the door behind where the onmyouji had stood.

For whatever reason, Robin was getting a strange feeling from the door. Something wasn't quite right about it. Was it enchanted?

He looked over to Corrin to see if she seemed bothered too. She was looking the room over, but with an expression of curiosity rather than suspicion. She must not have noticed anything was off, then.

"You notice it too, huh?" Takumi said quietly, drawing Robin's attention. The archer seemed uncomfortable. "Something isn't right about that door. I'm not sure if we should just barge through it without checking for a trap first."

"That's probably for the best," Robin agreed.

It was interesting that Takumi of all people was the one to notice. But he wasn't going to question it. It was good to see someone else was paying attention to their surroundings. Though, maybe that wasn't the best way to say it. Kaze, for example, often surveyed the area around him as well. Takumi was just the only one who seemed to get the same strange feeling Robin was. Picking up on those sorts of things could be annoying or disconcerning, but it helped in the long run.

It was like a sixth sense. Sometimes your senses were good, other times they weren't. Hearing the couple in the tent next door 'profess' their love to each other well past midnight when the army was marching at dawn the next day sucked. But that didn't mean Robin wanted to give up his hearing entirely. It was good most of the time, and that made it invaluable. So while the sixth sense could make life a little more intense and/or annoying at times, it was good overall.

"Time to go then," Corrin announced, heading for the door.

"Wait!" Robin and Takumi said at the same time, grabbing onto her to prevent her from moving forward.

"What?" she asked, her hand inches away from the door handle.

"Something isn't right about that door," Takumi told her, his voice much weaker than when he'd said the same thing to Robin.

Takumi sounded unsure. Robin would have to talk to him about that later. Takumi seemed to only have two modes: overconfident and underconfident. Or cocky and timid. Something like that.

Corrin gave a nervous laugh. "Really? I couldn't tell. I guess you two are more sensitive to that sort of stuff than I am. Sorry about that, it's my mistake"

"It's fine," Robin assured her.

Azura walked over to the three then, placing her hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"I only overheard the end of what you three were saying, so I might be missing some information, but don't put yourself down like that Corrin. If I was the one ahead, I would likely have done the same," Azura said calmly.

Corrin laughed again, this time from amusement. "Oh come on, Azura. You and I both know that's not true." She lowered the hand that was near the door handle, bringing it to her side. "But I appreciate-"

The room flashed white, and all of a sudden Robin, Corrin, Takumi, and Azura were standing in someone's house, their companions nowhere in sight.

The four of them drew their weapons immediately, dropping the contact they had with one another.

"Now now, no need to get so aggressive," a new voice told them, as an old man walked into the room.

"You!" Azura exclaimed, looking at the man. He was the same one they'd seen at the harbor.

"Yes, me! It's nice to see you all again. Or, the four of you again. Not all of you. It looks like your companions didn't make the trip back for some reason. Perhaps since you were all holding onto one another the spell assumed the group of connected people were the only ones worthy of travelling back down here and left your friends behind because of it," the old man explained.

"Where are we?" Robin asked, suspicious of the strange man.

Not only did he look different to different people, but he'd set up a multi-person warp spell. That was extremely complex magic. Nothing so simple a regular mage could conjure it up.

"My house, down at the bottom of Mount Sagesse. The top door of the Sevenfold Sanctuary, which was the fortress you folks traveled to if you didn't know the name of it, leads here. If you complete the Sanctuary's trial, that is. If you don't beat it or prove yourself worthy, the door leads to a rocky ledge several feet wide. I assume your friends are smart enough not to run through and throw themselves off the edge. The ledge is large enough that they should be able to stop themselves before they do anyway."

"What's going to happen to them?" Corrin questioned the old man, voice firm.

"They'll be fine. Their legs might be a bit tired since they'll have to trek all the way back down here on their own, but no harm will come to them on the way. The Sanctuary's guard only activates when I give it the command to do so.

"It'll take some time before your friends make it here though, so are there any questions you have for me before they arrive?" the old man offered.

Corrin nodded. "You… are the Rainbow Sage, aren't you?"

The old man laughed. "I find that to be more of a statement than a question, but yes. I knew you were a smart one!"

Corrin blushed slightly, before the room flashed a blinding white once again. When the light faded, Robin could see no difference in anything. What had happened?

"You…" Azura trailed off.

"You seem very fond of that word," the Rainbow Sage said with a smile.

Azura's face reddened. "I was making an observation that I deemed unnecessary to announce to the others in full."

The Rainbow Sage waved in Azura's direction. "Oh don't worry yourself so much, young one! I like your energy. It was simply an observation, not an insult. A joke, though I didn't seem to tell it so well. I must be losing my touch in my old age."

Robin frowned. "Pardon the interruption, but what was with the flash? Did something happen? I don't see any differences between before the flash and now."

Takumi furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? No differences? What about the guy in front of us? The Rainbow Sage? Notice anything different about _him_?"

Robin's frown deepened. He squinted, looking the Rainbow Sage over, trying his hardest to spot any changes. "Nope. Nothing. Am I missing something here?"

Takumi's jaw dropped, as did Corrin's.

"Are you kidding!? How do you not notice someone changing literally their entire appearance!?" Takumi yelled, pointing to the Sage for emphasis.

"Uh…" Robin didn't know what to say. The man looked exactly as he had before.

Azura raised her voice. "He doesn't notice anything different because to him, nothing has changed."

Corrin looked confused. "What do you mean by that? I'm pretty sure Robin has good enough eyesight to tell when someone changes their entire outfit, color and all, and goes from having short hair to having long hair and an impressive beard."

"Oh thank you," the Rainbow Sage said.

"Before we made it to the Sanctuary," Azura explained, "Robin and I talked about the man we'd seen at the bottom of the mountain. This man.

"While I described him as we saw him before: hunched over, in gray, no staff and beardless, Robin described him as he is now: standing much straighter, in green, tall staff, and with a long beard. The Sage's past appearance must have been an illusion, and my guess is that Robin saw through it from the beginning."

All eyes turned to Robin, who didn't know what to say. That sounded right to him. He couldn't exactly confirm the 'what they saw before, what they saw after' part, but he could confirm the conversation and what he saw.

The main question was, why didn't he notice the illusion in the first place? Usually when it came to magic, if someone could break or ignore a spell, they did so by realizing it was there and putting in a conscious effort. But he hadn't even realized there was a spell being cast. So how did he see through it?

Eyes stayed on Robin, and he could tell they were waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know," he stated simply. "If you want to know why I saw through the illusion, or why I didn't notice, the answer is 'I don't know.'"

Robin didn't say anything after that, waiting for someone else to speak. Sure he didn't know everything, and he never claimed to, but being so unsure in this situation made him uncomfortable.

Magic was something he was good at. Something he had practiced and studied for hours upon hours. During those two years between the wars with Plegia and Valm, Robin had spent a considerable amount of time with Miriel and Tharja, learning about different hexes and spells, trying to understand whatever he could about the magic that came so naturally to him. Well, it had started out as an attempt to figure out if there was some way to regain his memories and/or to find out what had wiped out his memory in the first place. He hadn't been successful on the memory part, but he'd done well otherwise. So knowing what he did, and being so clueless as to what was going on at the moment, just felt wrong.

"The reason your friend saw through the spell without realizing it is that the spell wasn't designed to work on him. I wouldn't want to be tricking old allies," the Rainbow Sage explained.

"Old allies?" questioned Takumi. He turned to Robin. "What does he mean, _old allies_? You know him...? Why didn't you say anything!?"

Robin's eyes widened, confused. "Because I don't know him! I've never seen him before today! I can promise you that."

"Oh yeah? So you're saying the Sage is lying to us, then."

"No, I'm just saying that _as far as I know_ , this is the first time we've met. And since I don't remember ever meeting him, that means I don't know him. You can't know someone you don't remember. But even so I'm pretty sure the two of us haven't met. Right?"

Robin looked to the Rainbow Sage with a sort of desperation, trying to find answers to whatever was going on.

The man tapped his staff on the ground, silencing Takumi before he could continue his accusations. "Now look here, we're all friends here, are we not? Or at least you four should be. Don't let me split you apart.

"I told you folks that my spell was not designed to trick old allies. I didn't say that it was designed to specifically avoid tricking Robin. I have never set eyes on the young man before me, nor has he seen me. Not Robin, at least. But there's something a little stronger back there, isn't there? Something that gives you a sort of immunity to my spell by proxy. He's the one that would better be categorized as the old ally, though we've never really fought together. He's just similar enough to the ones that the spell is set not to work on that he's immune to its effects."

The Rainbow Sage cleared his throat. "Anyway, I suppose I should say I'm happy to meet you, too, even if we're unable to speak."

"Uh," Robin wasn't sure how to respond. So, he gave an answer he thought would be fitting enough. "Thank you, sir. The one you're talking about… He's not totally... aware... right now. But I'll be sure to pass along the message when he is."

"Ho?" The Rainbow Sage raised an eyebrow. "I knew something was up. His presence felt oddly weak. What could've happened to do that? It's quite hard to inflict such damage and recovery time on someone like him."

Takumi, Corrin, and Azura all looked puzzled, but Robin ignored them. He'd just have to talk in non-specifics, to avoid saying anything incriminating while still answering the Sage's questions. Though he didn't think he'd be very successful in that first part.

"It was an injury on my part," Robin responded. "A severe one. I was distracted, and didn't notice it was there until I'd practically bled to death. He saved me, but it wasn't cheap."

Robin paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase what he was going to say next. "Not that he was at full strength anyway. He was nearly killed a relatively short time beforehand, before being put in a less than ideal situation where he didn't really have the proper resources to recover. Which is also my fault, now that I think about it. It's kind of a miracle for me that we're getting along as well as we are. But then again, with the situation we're in it's beneficial to the both of us to work together. Though I'm pretty sure that given the option, he'd split us up without a second thought. Neither of us got a choice in the matter, and he got the short end of the stick if you ask me.

"He's stuck cleaning up my messes while I do whatever it is I want at the time. It's probably insanely frustrating watching me make mistakes he could probably have avoided had it been him in my place."

Robin ran his hand through his hair, exhaling. Grima really did get the short end of the stick. Maybe knowing Grima was in there made Robin uncomfortable at times given what he'd done in the past, but the Fell Dragon hadn't actually done anything to harm Robin since they'd been transferred to Canta. He'd been a good roommate. Bodymate. Whatever.

"Oh, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," the Rainbow Sage told Robin. "I've heard tales of your exploits. If I were the one in his situation, I would be impressed with how little I'd have to do. If you've been making all these decisions on your own, then you're a fantastic tactician, and a spectacular man. Civilian and military loses alike have been low since you've been at the forefront of all of this. Not to mention the reports from nearby towns… There are rumors flying about about you, you know. I wouldn't be surprised if you became somewhat of a local legend in some of those towns!"

Robin laughed. "Legend? I think you're overestimating me."

The Rainbow Sage shook his head gently. "Oh no. How about you send someone around town, and ask them about the tales of the two white haired, red eyed heroes taking down Nohrian and Hoshidan invaders alike. I'm sure you'll hear back variants of the battles you've experienced. To think I'd find two people such as you today. Though, you're living very different versions of a similar situation. Or similar relation. However you'd express it."

"We haven't been going down trying to cut people down. Most of our battles have been in self defense. Or for the purpose of getting somewhere. But not with the goal of defeating people in mind," Robin replied.

"What of your battle in Izumo?"

"There were no Hoshidans there."

"Yes, but you have fought Hoshidans, and you have defeated invaders. Perhaps not at the same time, but stories get muddled each time they are told. It's only a matter of time before two stories become one."

"I don't necessarily like when false stories about myself are being spread all around."

"That's part of life, unfortunately. There have been more than a few stories told about me that I would've liked to have struck down as soon as they were born. But alas, the world does not work that way, and not everything works in my or your favor. Just try to be content with that which you have been given."

Robin nodded. He glanced over to Corrin and the others.

Oh, the explanations he'd have to give when this was all over. He couldn't keep deflecting forever. Especially not after the reveals brought on by the Rainbow Sage.

"Wait," Robin said, turning back to the Sage. "If your illusion didn't work on me, why did it work on Corrin? You said we were similar. Shouldn't she have seen through it as well?"

"I also said you were different," the Rainbow Sage responded. "Specifically in the… amount, and the way the relation is manifested."

"Amount of what?" Corrin asked, finally breaking her silence.

The Rainbow Sage smiled. "That is for your friend to tell you, not I.

"Now then, you came here to ask me something, did you not? Well, let's hear it."

Corrin nodded, though she glanced at Robin with a promise of later questions. "We came here because we're looking for information on a dragon. We received a prophecy from the Archduke of Izumo telling us it was necessary, but we aren't sure where to find the one it spoke of. We've heard many stories about your knowledge and wisdom, so we came to you to see if you had any information. We figured that if there was anyone who could help us, it would be you."

"And what is your goal, once you obtain this information? Why do you need it?" the Rainbow Sage asked.

"The dragon is the one who is supposed to help us stop this endless conflict between Nohr and Hoshido. If the fighting doesn't stop soon, then everyone will be hurt far more than either country could've imagined. I can't let that happen. So I'll do whatever it takes to stop the fighting. For Hoshido, and Nohr, and all the other nations that are affected by their war," Corrin asserted. She raised her fist for her last two sentences, a habit that Robin had almost thought she'd dropped after not seeing it for a little while.

"You're fighting to bring peace, then. Fascinating. And admirable. All right, I'll tell you where to find the dragon you're searching for."

 _He's right here, isn't he?_

"But first, hand me that blade of yours. The Yato."

 _That's what the Sage was talking about, when he said his spell wouldn't work on me, or Grima, because the spell wouldn't work on old allies. Dragons know dragons, right? And there aren't many around anymore, so of course he'd be surprised to find one. Especially one bound to a human. A human that also carries his blood._

"The Yato?" Corrin drew her sword, holding it horizontally. "Okay, here you go." She held the sword out for the Rainbow Sage.

He took the sword and examined it carefully, making note of small details and flipping it over a few times. He then closed his eyes, gripping the sword tightly.

Suddenly, the air began to spark. Not with visible light or energy, but with a feeling of power. The Sage was casting a spell.

" ... I, who forged the sacred blade... I, who committed the great sin... I, who wove the divine colors... I call on you now, Seal of Flames!"

The energy manifested as a flurry of colors, enveloping the Yato and flashing down the length of the blade. One by one, each color faded away, making the Yato more and more visible. After about fifteen seconds, only a faint blue glow remained. The Yato's hilt had changed under the cover of the lights. Not in a way that altered the grip much, but in an ornate way. A change of shape at the end.

"Woah…" Takumi murmured, staring at the sword in awe. Corrin and Azura too were gazing at the sword, eyes wide.

"The Seal of Flames? That's what Fuga mentioned wasn't it?" Corrin asked, turning to Robin. He nodded in response.

Robin turned back to the Rainbow Sage, who suddenly looked pale. The spell must have taken a lot out of him. The steady, but gentle, flow of power Robin had felt coming from the man since they'd been in the same room had started to flicker.

"Thank you so much, sir. What you've done will definitely help me on the road ahead. I knew you could help me like you helped Xander and the others," Corrin told the Rainbow Sage, who handed the Yato back to her.

"What I've done to your special sword here is not something I did for others, actually. It's something I did just for you," he responded. "What I did for your brother and the other three who passed my trial was present them with the challenge of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. I gave them the opportunity to grow just as I gave you, and they took advantage of it. The power I've given you here is power you already had the potential to achieve. I just gave you some motivation to get it - it was nothing particularly special on my part."

"Oh." Corrin blinked. "Then thank you for providing the opportunity. Not only did we get some practice, but we recruited a couple new people too, so that was a bonus."

The Rainbow Sage chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to have supported your endeavors in friendship!"

Then, the Rainbow Sage began to cough, bringing one of his long sleeves to his face to hide the pain in his expression.

Corrin grew concerned. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, fine," the Rainbow Sage said, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I'm an old man, and things get a little harder over time. Don't you worry yourself over me. You have bigger things to go on to, with that sword of yours."

Corrin didn't look completely convinced, and Robin wasn't convinced the man was okay at all, but neither pressed the subject any further.

"I hope you don't mind me butting in," Azura began, stepping forward, "but what is so special about the Seal of Flames, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ah yes, that." The Rainbow Sage took another deep breath. "The Seal of Flames is a term used to refer to the incomplete version of the Fire Emblem, once it has gained the power of some of the other divine weapons. Only when the Yato has gathered the power of the Fujin Yumi, Brynhildr, Raijinto, and Siegfried alike will the Seal of Flames become the Fire Emblem, which should help you achieve your end goal."

Robin's eyes widened.

 _The Fire Emblem? But that's the shield back in Ylisse, isn't it? Is that just a popular term for a powerful artifact or something? But this one is meant to help us with our end goal. Which is defeating a dragon. So maybe Fire Emblem is something associated with triumph over dragons, whether it be by sealing them away, or killing them entirely._

The Rainbow Sage coughed again, this time more gently, but still noticeable.

"So the Yato is now the Seal of Flames?" Corrin asked.

"Not quite. It still needs to gain the power of one of the divine weapons before it can be called that." The Sage turned to Takumi. "Thankfully for you, we have one of them right here. Takumi, if you would step forward?"

Takumi did, taking the Fujin Yumi off his back and holding it out. Both it and the Yato began to glow, sparks skipping between the two as power surged once again. The blue-green energy that arose to form the Fujin Yumi's arrows flowed across the bow and toward the Yato, enveloping the sword for yet another time that day.

This time the light faded more quickly, and the Yato was changed once more.

"Impressive light show," Robin commented. Corrin elbowed him.

"I'm glad to see you young ones are having fun," the Rainbow Sage said with a smile.

Azura wasn't quite as happy. "And what is the Fire Emblem?"

"You'll see," the Rainbow Sage responded.

"How soon?"

"That is up to you. Continue on your path, and the one you are looking for will show more and more of his cards to you, until you are able to reach him and achieve your victory."

"And what of the dragon of prophecy? We originally came here to find information on them. Do you have any, Rainbow Sage?"

"I would say so." The Rainbow Sage turned to Robin, looking the tactician in the eye. "After all, I'm more than likely the dragon your prophecy speaks of, as there aren't many other dragons around anymore."

Robin tensed slightly, glad to have his suspicion confirmed, but worried by how the Sage seemed to point him out with his comment. Would the others realize that there was a reason the Rainbow Sage said there weren't 'many' left rather than any, and a reason why he looked straight at Robin as he revealed the information?

"Wait, seriously!?" Corrin shouted, surprised. "You're a dragon? But you're so…"

"Human looking?" The Sage supplied, stifling a cough.

Corrin blushed. "Well, yeah. I can transform into a dragon, even though I only have a little bit of dragon blood, but even I have pointed ears. You look so normal in comparison."

The Rainbow Sage looked amused, but he refrained from commenting on Corrin's reddened cheeks. "Well… You know how I used an illusion to hide my true appearance earlier?"

Corrin nodded.

"I may or may not be using a slight illusion spell now as well. One that no one, even those similar to my old allies, should be able to see through. All it does is round my ears a bit. But my eyes are still red, as yours are. And as for other differences… Well, they aren't ones you'd notice at a glance, so they're unimportant for now." The Rainbow Sage supplied.

"Why make your ears look human in this form, if this is the one where you drop most of the illusion? This isn't what you present yourself as to the village people, so there's no need to hide your ears, is there?" Takumi asked.

The Sage frowned. "I don't just live to please other people you know."

Takumi froze, suddenly appearing uncomfortable. Getting told off by an esteemed figure really wasn't what a kid with bad self-esteem needed.

"Tell me, why do you keep your hair in that style? It's because you like how it looks, yes?" the Sage continued. "Well, I keep my ears like this because I like how they look. Round ears are cute. Such a funny little quirk humans have that differentiates them from us dragons." The Rainbow Sage took a long breath, inhaling deeply. Something was definitely wrong with him. "I like them, and a tiny spell like the one that keeps my ears looking round is nothing to me. So I figured 'why not?'"

Takumi blushed and turned his gaze down to the floor, while the Sage appeared to stifle another cough. The only sign was that the Sage's chest spasmed slightly, but it was enough for Robin to catch. Robin was going to press the man before he left for information on what was wrong.

On another note, what the Rainbow Sage said made sense, Robin supposed, but Takumi's question made just as much sense if not more. Robin was thinking of asking it, actually, but the prince had just beat him to it. The Sage was a little harsh for shooting the prince down like that.

Azura decided to change the subject. "Why is it that you're able to power up the Yato like this? Is it because of its origin, or because of your power?"

"Hm? Well, a little bit of both. I created it all those years ago. It, and the other four divine weapons."

"You created it?" Azura asked with wide eyes.

The Rainbow Sage nodded. "Long, long ago, twelve dragons were filled with desire... They fought over who would control the world. I was not exempt from the fighting, and decided to create the Yato and the other divine weapons in an attempt to sway the battle my way. But instead of quickly ending the fighting with their introduction… my weapons instead prolonged the war, pulling humanity into a battle that was far beyond the power all but the strongest few could even dream to hold…"

The Rainbow Sage went silent for a few moments, before perking up.

"Now then, if you have no more questions, I think it's fine time you four get going!" The Rainbow Sage told them in a light tone. "Your other friends await!"

"Are you sure?" Corrin asked, the Rainbow Sage nodding in response. "Then thank you for the help, Sage," she said with a slight bow, her companions mimicking the motion. "I'll use the power you've granted me - or unlocked, since that's probably a better term - the best I can, to stop all this fighting and save Hoshido and Nohr before they harm each other more than they already have. When I'm done with that, I'll make sure to come back and visit you!"

Something akin to guilt flashed on the Rainbow Sage's face, but he plastered a smile up to hide it a split second later. "You want to come back some day eh? Well, I won't stop you. And good to see you young folk have your minds in the right place. Now no more dallying! Get outta here, kiddos!" The Sage began motioning for them to get out of his house, sweeping them toward the door. Takumi was the first out, followed by Corrin and Azura. Robin paused in the doorway, watching the other three walk away.

He turned around and took a step back into the Sage's house, shutting the door most of the way.

"Youth doesn't last forever. You should spend what time you have with your friends. Sooner or later you won't have any more," The Rainbow Sage said.

Robin furrowed his brow. "Like you don't?"

The Rainbow Sage's expression turned grim. "Yes, though I try not to think about it too much."

"How much longer do you have?"

"I can probably finish our conversation, provided we don't get too wordy."

"Had you not unlocked the Yato's power, would you have had longer?"

"Oh, of course. As I said, I was the one who created the Yato and the other divine weapons. Doing so brought humans into our war of dragons. The result was death. Widespread death, from Valla to the astral plane to this realm."

"V- That place? Are you not affected by the curse?"

"I probably am, but I've little time left so it doesn't matter much. Regardless, after all the pain I caused, I was filled with an intense guilt. I knew that I could not die until I remedied the mistakes I had made. Or at least, until I had atoned for my sins… I believe that in unlocking the Yato's power for Corrin, I've finally achieved my goal.

"What of you, Robin? Or of your 'companion'? I'm curious as to how your souls ended up so intertwined."

"It's, uh, complicated. Something about a deal he made with my ancestors and a good thousand years of trying to make a vessel to revive him. I could go on a little, but I'm not sure we have the time for it. I don't have the full story myself, either. But if you want…?"

The Rainbow Sage shook his head. "No, it's fine. Interesting situation, but I'm not so curious I'm willing to spend too much time on it."

The Sage broke out in a fit of coughing, the man putting most of his weight on the staff he was carrying.

Robin moved forward to help the man, but he was shushed away.

"Look, young man…" The Rainbow Sage said with considerable effort. "I don't know your full story, and I know it's a complicated one. I also know that you must have your reasons for keeping things secret. But I ask that you tell your friends what's going on soon.

"Perhaps it isn't the time to reveal the full story; perhaps it is. That is for you to decide. But the longer you go without telling them, the less they're likely to trust you once the story does come out, and the more danger you run of damaging your friendship if the information is revealed to them from another source.

"Just as lies tend to break friendships, the withholding of information tends to weaken them until even the slightest slip up can cause a chasm to be born between friends that one side alone cannot fix. And in some cases, one that neither side can fix even when working together.

"The sooner you tell your friends what's going on, the less likely you are to hurt them. You have more time than I do, but your time is not infinite. So think about when you want to talk, about what, and to whom - the conversation is inevitable, and it's so much more pleasant when it happens on your own terms rather than someone else's."

More coughing from the Rainbow Sage followed his words, and Robin jerked forward, catching the man before he could slip.

"Sage…" he began.

"Hush, child. You have places to be, do you not? Your friends are sure to notice your absence. And while I have never particularly dreamed of dying alone, I've also no wish to impart the image of my dead body on a man I've just met, no matter the potential I see in him. Go now, and join your comrades. I abandoned mine long ago, and all I wish now is that I'd spent more time with them before we all turned on one other. So go, and continue on your way. I wish you luck, young Robin, both in your ventures with this group, and with your relations with the dragon sleeping in your soul."

Robin released the Rainbow Sage from his grip and took a step back, bowing to the man.

Just then Corrin opened the door the rest of the way, poking her head inside.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, drawing the eyes of the house's two residents.

Robin scratched his head. "Ah, sorry about that Corrin! I had a few things I wanted to talk about with the Sage, but we're all done now. It's time to get going, right?"

Corrin nodded. "Yep!" She then addressed the Rainbow Sage. "Thank you again, sir. Your help is invaluable. I hope you have a happy rest of your life!"

The Rainbow Sage offered up a sad smile. "Given everything I've seen today, and what it's made me feel, I think I will."

Robin frowned, but didn't say anything. The Rainbow Sage motioned for Robin and Corrin to exit, and they moved for the door, Corrin's hand on Robin's arm.

The tactician stopped in the door once more, facing the outside.

"Thank you for everything, Sage. Your words… I'll make sure to follow them. They mean a lot."

Robin couldn't see the face the Rainbow Sage made in response, but he did hear the slight chuckle. "I'm only doing my duty. May you and Corrin have happy lives as well."

Robin gave a small nod, walking forward. Corrin shot him a confused look, but Robin kept on going ahead. He heard the Rainbow Sage close the door behind them, and that was the end of their encounter.

To think the man would be dead in a matter of hours… maybe even a matter of minutes.

The rest of the group had gathered in the town square, and was headed toward an inn they had found. Robin and Corrin joined them.

Once they reached the inn and were all placed in rooms (and boy did that put the inn staff in a tizzy, thirty people showing up at once looking for a place to stay for the night), Robin set down his things, going to Corrin and Azura's room. Felicia and Mozu were also staying with the princesses, but Robin had convinced the two to leave for a while so he could talk to Corrin and Azura in private. What he had to say would probably trickle down to them in some form eventually, but for the moment he wanted to talk to Corrin and Azura alone. They had the biggest right to know of anyone.

The two princesses were seated on one of the two beds in the room, facing Robin who sat on the bed parallel to it. Robin hadn't told them why it was he'd wanted to speak to them yet, so they had to have been curious.

"Now then," he began, "you're probably wondering why I came to you like this."

Two nods.

"As you probably know, I've been hiding some things from you.

"Well, I've decided it's high time I tell the truth."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **There was some way I've been thinking about writing the end of the chapter since about the 2,000-word mark but I can't remember the phrasing for the life of me, which is frustrating. I got the general idea down at least. There was also something I wanted to mention in this note, but I don't remember what it was. I hope FE16 turns out well. Kind of funny that this chapter coincides with the direct date. That wasn't intentional. Anyway, next chapter is explanation time! Probably! I don't have a single word of it down and I'm not sure how much stuff I want Robin to say as I don't want it to be redundant/boring for the readers. We'll see. Thanks for sticking around. This is one of the longest, if not the longest chapter I've written yet.**

 **Originally posted June 12, 2018. Word count: 13,180 not including author's notes (btw ffnet adds a couple hundred words to their word counts?).**

 **Eruran (Mariyekos... eventually...maybe) out.**


	22. Truth - 2 Year Anniversary!

**Author's note: Happy 2 year anniversary everyone. I still remember freaking out when I checked my phone the morning after I had posted this because it had already gained like 5 followers and I hadn't expected it to get so popular. Now, two years later, it's at almost 900 dang. I was trying to get out two chapters for this anniversary date since this is, well, not my absolute favorite. It's largely just an explanation of Awakening with some interruptions by Corrin and Azura. Looking back I probably should have skipped all the explanation but I didn't. There's more stuff in it than that, but that's the majority of it. So the 2 chapter thing didn't quite happen but... well the next chapter is fully outlined and my/Laslow's birthday is in 3 days so...**

 **EDIT: I wrote Grima's backstory chapter before Fire Emblem Echoes Shadows of Valentia came out. Yes, I know that what I have in this story is incorrect considering that. But I wrote my version of it before Grima had any canon backstory apart from "he is likely a descendant of the Earth Dragons" and a few things here and there which I covered previously. When I am done with this story I'll likely go back and fix things so it aligns with the new canon. But it's been a year since I established a lot of that stuff, and it's too late to go back in the middle.**

 **Anyway, it's been two years! So no more stalling. Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"Now then, I'm not entirely sure where I should start."

Robin looked to the ceiling, taking in a breath. Sure, he wanted to talk with the princesses, tell them what was going on. But what order did he go in? He'd given them an overview of the Plegia-Ylisse war, and told Azura about the Grimleal and Validar without getting into specifics. Repeating himself would be a waste of time. Then again, how much did they remember? And he hadn't told the women the same things - they'd heard different pieces of the same story. Which meant he'd backed himself into a hole of sorts.

"I'll go to the beginning later on, but for now I'll start with a few key things

"First off: I don't have amnesia. At least, not in a way that means I can't remember anything before I met you except my 'dreams.' I'm certain that everything I told you about my past life is true. Now that I've met with certain people, I have proof. We wouldn't all be sharing the same delusion, after all. I do have amnesia to an extent, but I'll cover that later.

"Next: The whole thing Izana said about me having done occult stuff or having done some sort of dark magic. I've definitely been subject to the two of them, and whether you could say that 'I' have performed dark magic is a complicated matter. But Izana was right in the end. Especially with that alter thing, which is impressively and perhaps frighteningly accurate. Again, I'll go into detail on this later.

"And then for the last thing before I really go off… What the Rainbow Sage said. Not about the 'tell your friends your secrets before it's too late' sort of stuff, but about why his illusion spell didn't work on me, and the similarity I hold to Corrin. It's related to the occult stuff, and it's the reason for my amnesia, so it's a pretty big topic. When we get to that I know it's going to be… surprising, to say the least, so I just ask that you let me finish before you ask questions. Or that you at least wait for me to pause, rather than interrupting. I don't want you to misinterpret something because you didn't give me a chance to finish what I wanted to say, alright?"

"Of course," Azura responded softly.

She had her hand folded in her lap, feet hanging off the side of the bed but not quite reaching the ground. Her hair was out of her face for once, held back by a headband Robin assumed to be Corrin's. The sight made Robin smile. It was like Azura was so curious about his situation, and so full of anticipation for what would be said that she didn't want to miss a single bit, even in terms of vision. Body language can reveal a lot about what a person's thinking, and what their true opinions on the topics they're dealing with are, so having an unhindered view of the person speaking aids greatly in being able to capture all the small movements and indicators they make.

Azura, while quiet at times, was rather observant. Both she and Corrin would look around at the world as if they were taking it all in for the first time, trying to absorb all the information their surroundings could give them in an attempt to place themselves, and to understand where in the world they were.

With Corrin, it made sense. She'd been raised in a fortress, barred from leaving for years. It really was her first time seeing everything, so her wonder was to be expected.

With Azura, it was slightly different. She'd still been a prisoner, in a way, but she'd had so much more freedom. So her habit of looking up in awe at the world around her must've been for a different reason. A genuine appreciation of the world, it seemed, or perhaps simply a love for the land and the different people and things that inhabited it.

"As I've said before, I was part of an army. One led by my best friend, a man named Chrom. We met in almost the exact same way as I met you guys - I was passed out in the middle of the field, and he was the first one I saw when I opened my eyes. He and his sister, Lissa, were standing above me when I woke up, a knight in their service named Frederick standing to the side.

"Chrom asked me my name once I'd taken in a little bit of my surroundings, but I found I could remember neither that nor any other details of my life. Lissa proposed I had amnesia, and that time I really did. When you guys found me I just said I did because I didn't know where I was and wanted an excuse to explain why I didn't know anything. Sorry about that. Now you know.

"Moving on, we saw that a nearby village was being attacked and went to help the villagers. As we began to fight I realized how familiar battle seemed, at least in concept. I definitely wasn't the strongest fighter out there, but I knew what I was doing and I knew how to wield a tome and a blade. Before long we won the battle and Chrom invited me back to Ylisstol, the capital of the halidom of Ylisse, the nation we were in.

"It was a few days' trip from the village we were in to the capital, so we ended up camping a few times along the way. It was relatively peaceful at first, but one night the sky opened up, and hell rained down. Literally. Monsters we would later name Risen poured out of the sky, falling to the ground as the ground began to fragment and fires broke out. It was like something from a horror story, to be honest. If you think the Faceless are bad, at least be happy that they don't look human for the most part. The Risen… some of them were like Faceless, though a bit smaller. Others were almost human, if not for their grey skin and glowing red eyes. They were walking corpses… I could go on, but that's not really important right now.

"The Risen had never been seen in Ylisse up until that point, and we weren't sure what to do. We fought back against them, but it was difficult. At one point Lissa was separated from Chrom, Frederick, and I, and would have been killed had it not been for a newcomer. She'd come out of the sky, falling with the Risen that attacked us, but wasn't on their side. She was their enemy, and by that account our ally, and helped us fend off the Risen. At the time she wore a mask and told us her name was Marth - the name of the hero king the royalty of Ylisse descended of. She then disappeared, leaving us confused but alive.

"We continued on to Ylisstol. There I met the Chrom and Lissa's older sister, the exalt Emmeryn, exalt being the term for the king or queen that came from the royal bloodline rather than marrying in. That was a pretty big shock, and made me freak out a little about being with them. But they were nice, and Chrom let me join the Shepherds, a band of fighters he'd assembled to help protect the countryside while the main military had other duties.

"At first the Shepherds fought inside Ylisse, defeating brigands and the like. But tensions between Ylisse and the nearby nation of Plegia were rising. We headed North toward Regna Ferox to get help from their military, where we saw Marth again. We fought against each other in a tournament or sorts. During the battle though, we noticed something odd. The sword by her side looked just like the sword Chrom held, the falchion… Two swords of which there should only have been one. We left without answers, but we did gain the help we'd gone there for.

"Not long after than there was an assassination attempt on Emmeryn's life, which would have succeeded had Marth not intervened. She appeared in Ylisstol seemingly out of the blue, warning of the attempt and the grim future it would bring. Chrom and I didn't really believe her at first, but then an assassin came for Chrom, only to be stopped by Marth. Her mask was broken by a second assassin but she was fine otherwise, the man being cut down just as easily as the first.

"Before long the castle was filled with Plegian troops. We cut them down with few casualties, and Emmeryn survived. I was the one to defeat the enemy's leader. He recognized me, which was the first time there'd been any proof I hadn't just appeared out of nowhere. But he was my opponent, and he was trying to kill Emmeryn, so I defeated him before I could ask questions. He died that day. I know it. He just didn't… stay dead.

"Marth left after that, telling us we'd averted a future of ruin by preventing the assassination. We went to war with Plegia after that.

"Even though we'd managed to stop the first assassination attempt, Emmeryn didn't survive the war. A few weeks into the fighting, she was captured and sent to be executed, placed on a… I'm not sure what you would call it. Kind of like a plank made of stone. But she was put out in public where all could see her, hundreds of feet above the ground, meant to be shot to death and let to fall to the ground. Plegia's king made an offer - give him the Fire Emblem and Emmeryn would survive, or keep it and let her die."

Robin paused to take a breath. He still felt guilty over what had taken place. He'd known something was fishy about the situation before Emmeryn was captured, but he hadn't done anything to stop it. And when Gangrel had made his proposition…

Robin told him to let Emmeryn die. Not in those words, of course. He'd said that when it came down to it, one life weighed against thousands wasn't worth it. That Ylisse could survive without Emmeryn, but it couldn't survive without the Fire Emblem, since Plegia had to have had something dark planned. Robin's decision was to sacrifice Emmeryn. Chrom didn't agree.

After Emmeryn was dead by her own choice, rather than theirs, Chrom was relatively quick to forgive him. Told Robin he understood how much pressure was on Robin's shoulders, and that he couldn't blame Robin for thinking about the people. Said that it was fine, and that Emmeryn would understand. That it was hard to think clearly in a situation like that, and that sometimes people made the wrong decision when they suddenly were put in a situation they weren't used to.

So it was fine. Emmeryn was dead, and they couldn't do anything about it. Both of them would have preferred she lived, but it was too late. They just had to move forward and win the war.

But that… that just wasn't right. 'Wrong decision?' Robin didn't believe it was the wrong decision. If he had to make it again, he would've. He wouldn't be happy with making it, but given the situation, Emmeryn or the Fire Emblem, Emmeryn was the one he would give up every time. What was one death compared to thousands? Tens of thousands. Even hundreds.

 _I mean, just look at what happened in Lucina's time. I never asked her the exact numbers, but I wouldn't have been at all surprised if she told me the world's population had been halved. Or even reduced to a quarter. Grima wanted total destruction. For what, I still can't see. Even if he have me his reasoning. There was no point to all the death. Yes, there's revenge I suppose, but isn't there a limit? The only real explanation is insanity._

 _And so, it would be the retention of sanity that would stop those deaths. Making a level headed decision would be the opposite of all that, and all those deaths._

 _So while neither of us liked to admit it, and you always denied it… we both knew that sacrificing Emmeryn was the right thing to do. Even when you tried to give Gangrel the Fire Emblem. You hesitated, after all. And that was enough to show you knew. Or that you at least considered it._

 _Your hesitation and my hesitation were different though. The hesitation to make a choice versus the hesitation to voice it. You're a kinder person than I am, Chrom. Even if you don't like when I say it. That's the reason I was behind most of the decisions, after all. Kindness doesn't usually win wars. It moves you forward at certain times, yes, but you can't rely on it and it alone to get you to the end._

 _There comes a point when you can no longer be kind and you have to pick up your sword. Not that you didn't understand it. You're such a hothead, after all. Naga, the amount of times Frederick or I had to stop you from running into thing bows blazing because you wanted to get on with the fight…_

 _There lies the kindness part though. Short term, you would sometimes blow and want to go for the more violent route because the other deserved it. Or you'd say stuff without thinking, like with Flavia back when we first went to Ferox. But long term, you were better at thinking about ways around it. You'd at least try to consider more peaceful routes. I never heard you say anything along the lines of 'let's make them suffer.' When the fighting got brutal, you were never happy about it. You could never_ voice _the final decision to do something dark._

 _That was my job._

 _Sometimes you came up with ideas that could help us, but weren't so nice. But you didn't tell your troops to go do them. You'd come to me, tell me what you had planned, and have me modify whatever it was into something more efficient. By doing that, the cruel things we did were no longer your ideas, but mine. The final execution was up to me. Perhaps you technically were the one to say the orders every once in a while, but they were my orders being given. You came up with ideas as possibilities, and I decided they were certainties we were going to perform._

 _We were never that brutal. We weren't Plegia, and we weren't Walhart. There are only a few things I wish I could have done differently, so that we could have been kinder, or so people could have suffered less. But I'm confident that in the end, my choices were the right ones. I don't necessarily regret what I've done. You would, I wouldn't. There lies the difference._

' _What have we done?' you'd said after the sea of flames. 'Naga, this is terrible. Maybe...maybe we should've looked for another way. Done something else.'_

 _And while I agree that watching thousands of people burn alive was no pleasant business, and that it would have been nice for them to survive, I don't believe we should have just let them go. What we did was the best option. They would have all died in the end anyway, save possibly a few. They would've fought to the end, and killed thousands of others along with them. By killing them, we saved thousands. But it's hard to think about all those you saved when all that's in front of you is the burnt corpses of those you didn't, the smell of ashes heavy in the air around you._

"Robin?" Azura's voice broke Robin out of his thoughts, and he shook his head.

"Sorry about that," he said, taking a deep breath.

"So…"

Where had he left off again? He was talking about Emmeryn that was for sure. But what had and hadn't he said? He'd thought so much about it he couldn't remember. That wasn't uncommon though. Overthinking something to the point that it's unclear if you just imagined the conversation or if it actually took place.

"...Plegia's king told you to give him the Fire Emblem or Emmeryn would die," Corrin supplied.

Azura butted in before Robin could respond. "Which I would like to ask you about."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, me too. The Rainbow Sage mentioned the Fire Emblem when we met with him. He said that the Yato would transform into it. From what I understand, the Yato had been in Hoshido for years before I came to wield it. How is it that you had it back in your homeland? That doesn't really make sense."

Robin nodded. "Yeah, it wouldn't. If they were the same thing."

Azura's eyes narrowed. "And what do you mean by that?"

"The Fire Emblem back in my homeland was a shield, used as a seal of sorts, to seal away the dragons who had begun to go insane. It was made complete by gathering the stones that fit into its frontside. Which I suppose is similar to your Yato, made complete by gaining power or energy or whatever it is from the other divine weapons. But the Fire Emblem of my homeland wasn't the Yato, and I doubt the Yato's going to turn into a shield despite it apparently having the ability to transform, so there must be two things called the Fire Emblem. Why, I don't know," Robin explained.

"An odd coincidence," Azura commented. "Now then, back to the situation with the Fire Emblem and Emmeryn?"

"Ah yeah. That." Robin frowned. "Chrom and I were trying to figure out what to do, knowing Ylisse would be in trouble either way. Different trouble, but nothing good nonetheless.

"Emmeryn decided to take the choice away from us. She gave a moving speech, and walked to the end of the platform she was on. Rather than being shot and then pushed off as Gangrel planned, she simply leaned forward and fell. I'll never forget Lissa's scream, or the look on Chrom's face when we dragged him away from where Emmeryn's body had landed. It… wasn't a pretty sight. But we were surrounded, and we didn't have time to grieve. We left, leaving her behind. I don't think Chrom ever really got over it. Not that I could blame him.

"It turns out that Emmeryn's final words had been heard by more than just the few of us standing in the courtyard. Plegian soldiers across the country began laying down their weapons, refusing to fight any longer. If it wasn't for that, the war would've lasted much longer, and been much bloodier.

"A few weeks after that, the king of Plegia was slain, and we entered a two year long period of During this two year span, Chrom got married, and his daughter Lucina was born. Lucina's left eye bore the brand of the exalt, a mark all members of the Ylissian royal family bore, showing them to be recipients of Naga's favor. At least, that's how the common folk would phrase it. It was a little different than that, but that's not important.

"After two years of peace, war broke out again. This time the Valmese Empire, which was on a continent to the west of the one Ylisse was on, had started to take over nearby lands, moving to attack Ylisse's ally Regna Ferox. Neither Ylisse nor Ferox had the ships to make it to the Valmese continent to attack, so we went to Plegia for help. There we met with the new King, the old one having been killed by Chrom in the last war. This new king was Validar - the man I had slain almost three years prior. With him was a man who looked identical to me…

"Validar granted us permission to use his ships, though he wouldn't provide soldiers. We got no real explanation for the lookalike, other than that he was the hierophant, highest official of the Grimleal religion. Afterward, Validar appeared before me to reveal he was my father. He told me to abandon Chrom and Naga, and to join with Grima instead. That went against everything I knew from the short few years I could remember, and Chrom appeared before anything more happened. He hadn't seen Validar - it was as if the man was a figment of my imagination. But that conversation was real. He knew of it later on. It was simply his power…" Robin explained.

Corrin spoke next. "To abandon Naga and join Grima? Earlier you were talking about Ylisse having Naga's blessing, so I assume they're some kind of god, but what about Grima? Why were the two in opposition?"

"You know about the First Dragons, right? The Dawn Dragon, the Dusk Dragon, the Rainbow Sage, and so on? Dragons that once lived among us, but are now revered as gods?"

Corrin and Azura nodded.

"Grima and Naga were sort of like that. Once, there had been several dragon tribes that lived across my home realm. But they slowly descended into madness and were either killed or sealed away by humans. Naga was a member of the Divine Dragon tribe, and had offered both a 'solution' to the dragons' insanity, and aid to the humans who eventually wiped out the majority of the dragons, and as such was seen as a savior by the people. This savior status soon elevated her to godhood.

"People are always looking for someone to turn towards and someone to turn against though, so through a series of events I could explain if you really want me to but don't find too relevant, the Earth Dragon Grima became the villain to Naga's heroism. He earned the title Fell Dragon, and became an enemy of the people. Some decided to follow him rather than fight him and formed the Grimleal cult. Naga had given a human one of her teeth to be used as a weapon against an earlier Earth Dragon, that weapon being the Falchion Chrom would come to use, and it was what helped send Grima into his thousand year slumber.

"Things happened, and Naga ended up being worshipped by the people of what would become Ylisse, with Grima being worshipped by the people of what would become Plegia. I'm not sure if you could really call either gods, as they were mortal beings once upon a time, but they were treated like them. Naga got a church, and Grima got a cult. Apparently without his initial consent too. That brought conflict.

"Naga was a Divine Dragon, and Grima was the Fell Dragon - each loved by one country and demonized by the other. Though maybe I should say it was more like everyone but Plegia felt warm or neutral toward Naga while Plegians disliked her, and most of the world felt either neutrality or hatred toward Grima. There are always those people who don't care for or believe in the gods, and those who don't fit the traditional mold. But the stereotypical association known to the world was Naga-Ylisse-Good, Grima-Plegia-Evil."

"And what do you think of Grima and Naga?" Corrin asked.

Robin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Corrin took a moment to think about how to phrase her question. "Do you believe Grima was the ultimate evil, or that Naga was some sort of ultimately holy savior? Do you think one was better than the other?"

Robin, too, paused. That was a good question.

What Naga had done to Grima wasn't very kind or holy. She demonized him, and she created the leadup to his downfall. Perhaps Grima would have gone down that route even without Naga's actions, as he seemed predisposed, but… Well, Naga's actions certainly didn't help.

Not that Grima was either of those things. He was malicious, and had murdered thousands upon thousands of people. Both in his time walking around before being sealed away, and in Lucina's future. And in Robin's time to an extent. While the thought made him feel guilty, he had to admit that Grima was the worse of the two.

Naga wasn't evil. She did what she did for the greater good. What she did to Grima wasn't something Grima or Robin would forgive, it wasn't completely malicious. So Robin's semi-reluctant response was:

"Well. Both have their faults. But Grima has more. So Naga's probably the better of the tw-"

Robin suddenly stopped, hit by a wave of vertigo. He suddenly felt nauseous, and had to take deep breaths for a good fifteen seconds before the nausea even started to go away. It was almost a minute before he felt back to normal.

Both Corrin and Azura were deeply concerned. "Robin!?" Corrin practically shouted, lunging toward him when he started leaning forward. She was probably worried he would fall of the bed and hit his head or something.

Azura stood, walking off somewhere and coming back with a glass of water. Robin had dropped his head when the vertigo hit, so he hadn't seen where she'd gone.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Robin said, waving the two off but accepting the water.

He didn't feel sick anymore. All it took was the minute of deep breaths to return to normal. So he probably wasn't ill.

But what was that? He was feeling fine until he mentioned thinking Naga was probably a better person than Gri-

"Nng!" Robin's grip on the glass slipped, but Corrin caught it before it could hit the floor.

Corrin had a worried look on her face. Azura looked a little scared.

"Maybe you should lie down," Corrin offered, trying to push Robin back toward the headboard. He pushed her away though.

He laughed bitterly. Of course he started feeling sick when he praised Naga "Oh, that _bastard_ …"

Corrin's look of worry intensified. "Robin…?"

The tactician waved her off again, sitting up straight.

"Don't worry about it," he said, still chuckling a little. "I'm pretty sure I know what caused that little… outburst. Man I can't believe that it's been happening for months and I only just realized the cause!"

"What are you talking about?" Azura asked. She'd taken the water from Corrin and set it on the table between their beds.

"Ah, something that'll make more sense once I get further along with this story." After all, how could he properly explain the sick feeling he'd gotten every single time he'd mentioned Naga since waking up in Canta without having explained his relationship with Grima first?

'Grima the oh so benevolent and powerful and kind and lovely bodymate,' Robin added, in case the dragon was listening. He hadn't talked to Robin in a while, and he'd still been sleeping during the encounter with the Rainbow Sage, so there was the chance that the Anti-Naga-Praising sickness was some sort of unconscious effect, but Robin didn't know for certain. Maybe praising Grima would give him a power boost or something!

Grima didn't choose to respond.

...

How disappointing.

Robin cleeared his throat. "Anyway, moving on, I learned that the king of a basically-enemy country was my father, and he granted us ships to go to war in the west. We did, and we won, but at a great cost. I did some things that I'm not proud of. Do I think I was wrong in doing them? Not really. But I know you two wouldn't be very supportive of them, if that gives some indication. There were some not so pleasant things we had to do to keep our troops alive and casualties to a minimum, even though in the moment it almost seemed like we were maximizing them.

"Marth had returned to assist us during the war, and after some time together, we learned why she had a copy of the Falchion. It was because it wasn't a copy - it was the same sword. In truth, Marth was Lucina, Chrom's daughter who had journeyed back in time to tell warn us of a dark future. When we'd first met her, we figured she'd had a vision, or was allied with a fortune teller of some sort. It turned out to be neither. The horrid wasteland she'd described was the land she'd come from, destroyed by Grima and his minions. It was hard to believe, but in her left eye Marth, now known to be Lucina, had the brand of the exalt, just as her infant counterpart did back in Ylisse. There was no denying who she was."

Robin paused, considering whether or not he should include what he would next say.

"We got to see her future, actually. Or something close to it. Lucina had come from a future where Grima had won, and the Shepherds and I were long dead. She'd been sent back by Naga to prevent that future from coming to be, but that didn't mean that all futures had been fixed. At one point Naga came to us, the people of my time, and asked us to help with another land, with another future that had been ravaged by Grima's power. It was a future very similar to Lucina's, though not the one she'd come from.

"It was there that I met Selena and a few others. The details of that trip… aren't really mine to tell. If anyone should be talking about it it's Selena, so I'll leave it to her. Just know it's a sensitive topic, so she might not want to talk about it.

Robin shook his head. "I'm sorry. I keep going on tangents. Er, anyway, Lucina fought with us during the war, trying to build a future without the terrors that plagued hers. She didn't know exactly what had gone wrong, but she did know that in her time, Chrom had been murdered. By who, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that it was his best friend."

A bitter laugh. "Honestly, I should have realized it by then. Who it was. Chrom and I were stuck at the hip when he wasn't with his wife. I'd heard so many jokes about me being his second spouse that I lost count. But we didn't have any reason to suspect me. Not at first.

"After the war in the west, we returned to Plegia to collect the last gemstone needed to complete the Fire Emblem. We'd gathered the rest by that point, and the one Plegia had was all that was left. There, Validar attacked us. We fought back, and we won the battle, but things didn't go as we expected. The strange pain I'd felt that night Validar spoke to me came back, and before I knew what was happening I was moving toward Chrom, stealing the Fire Emblem from him and delivering it to Validar.

"We left, and Chrom tried to tell me everything was okay and that he forgave me, but I couldn't forgive myself. I wandered away from camp that evening to clear my head. Lucina followed.

"She spoke of the memories she had of her father, of the Chrom of her timeline, and how she couldn't let another timeline be robbed of him early by his death. I didn't get what she was talking about at first, but then she pulled out her sword.

"She knew her father had been murdered by his best friend. When she saw the two of us together, she figured Chrom and I were too close for me to ever betray him. But after seeing me manipulated by Validar… even if I would never willingly betray Chrom, we had evidence that I could be forced to do so. That it was a clear and total possibility that I could turn on him, even if everything in me screamed not to. To prevent this, she decided it would be best to kill me before anything could go wrong."

Corrin took in a deep breath. "You didn't agree, did you?"

"..." Robin looked away. "Are you kidding? Of course I did. In her future, I'd murdered my best friend and countless others. I was a monster. I didn't want to become that in my timeline. I didn't want anyone to suffer or die because I was so selfish as to value my own life over those more important than me."

Corrin looked shocked. Why, Robin didn't know. He thought she would have come to expect that sort of behavior from him by that point. "But why? Why forfeit your life for something that could only possibly happen? It wasn't guaranteed. Maybe it happened in one timeline, but you didn't know it was coming. I bet you would've been able to stop it if you knew!"

"Corrin…" Azura said softly, trying to calm the girl down.

"Azura please," she responded. "I don't like hearing about my friends throwing their lives away. Why can't people just… just live? Why are there so many people willing to die when they could think things through and survive! Look for an alternate path that doesn't require so much bloodshed? I don't get it. Are death wishes really that common!?"

Robin faced the girls once again, a grim smile on his face. Or maybe it was a smirk. He wasn't entirely sure what he was feeling, and what sort of expression that was creating.

"You're right about that, actually, but that comes just a bit later."

"Huh?" Corrin blinked a few times, confused.

"I accepted Lucina's judgment. I've told you this before, and I'll say it again. I work for the greater good. A small sacrifice is acceptable if it prevents the greatest tragedy in the future. Given what I knew was to come, I thought that my sacrifice would be a necessary 'evil,' so to speak, to happen in order for the best future to come to pass. I thought that if I died, Chrom would live and the Ylissean army and country would survive, meaning that my death would sustain the greatest amount of lives. My death would be for the best.

"Chrom didn't seem to agree though. He'd apparently followed the two of us out of the village, and had been listening to the conversation between Lucina and me for a while. So when Lucina pulled her sword back to get ready to deal the final blow, he dove in front of me before Lucina could stab me. It was a completely reckless move, because he was about an inch away from getting stabbed himself and bringing about the future Lucina was trying to avoid, but it worked at stopping Lucina. No one was killed that night.

"We continued on, knowing that there was a strong likelihood of me being used against Chrom at some point if we were to encounter Validar again. And soon enough, that day came.

"We went to Validar, to kill him and end the terror that he'd been inflicting. It might not have been on the level Grima would inflict in the future, but it was nothing small, and Grima's revival was his end goal through his actions anyway. We figured by going to him and defeating him, we could end his plans before they came to fruition."

Again, Robin took a deep breath. The further he got with this story, the more he disliked what had gone on. "It turns out that that was exactly what he wanted. Validar was waiting at the Dragon's Table, the spot where Grima would be revived once his vessel arrived."

Another deep breath. He didn't really want to say it. Azura and Corrin already knew he wasn't totally normal. Izana had called him cursed. Robin had even spoken to Grima. But knowing something and telling someone else about it were two different things.

"Robin?"

Azura's voice made Robin look up. He hadn't even realized he'd turned his head to the ground. It seemed his deep breath and pause had been a little too long.

"That vessel," Robin began, "was me."

Corrin gasped and Azura's eyes widened, but neither said anything. They were waiting for Robin to continue.

"I was Validar's son, and Validar was the head of the Grimleal. They had been trying for generations to produce a viable vessel for Grima, and hadn't had any success until I was born. That's where all the Izana stuff with the curses and so on comes in. But, their plan was thrown off course by my mother, who stole me away before they could do anything, fleeing the country and keeping me out of the Grimleal's grasp.

"But years later there I was in Plegia, having come of my own accord, and standing in the perfect spot for Grima to come down and make my body his.

"We attacked Validar, defeating him. It wasn't over though, as his influence once again came over me. I stabbed Chrom with a bolt of lightning and he fell to the floor. I betrayed my best friends, the thing I had wanted least in the world. Validar came back, ready to gloat about his victory.

"However, that victory… wasn't really real. You said earlier, Corrin, that if I knew of the future, then perhaps I could change its course. Well, you were right. I knew that I killed Chrom in Lucina's future, and I had had a vision of the fight with Validar. I knew I was going to attack him, and that if I let my full power rage, he would die. So once I began to feel someone else's power start to claw at me, I held back all the strength I could. The blow I dealt Chrom was turned from a fatal one to a bad, but not killer one. I couldn't stop myself from attacking him entirely, but I could keep myself from killing him.

"We defeated Validar that day for real, but it wasn't the end. The Hierophant I had met alongside Validar appeared before us, and went to claim Grima's power for himself. The reason we'd looked identical wasn't that we'd been twins. He was the me from Lucina's future, who'd already been possessed by Grima, and had gone back in time to prevent her from erasing his conquests. The Hierophant came to control Grima, and they became our new enemy.

"More fighting ensued, and eventually we met with Naga again, who sent us onto Grima's back to defeat him and end his reign of terror before it led to destruction and death we could not recover from.

"Naga told us there were only two ways to stop Grima. No blow from a regular soldier would do if we were to truly defeat Grima. Either Chrom could 'kill' Grima, which would send him back into another thousand year slumber until he rose again and Chrom's descendants would have to deal with him… or I could kill Grima, which would kill the Fell Dragon for good."

"And the catch?" Azura asked, eyes narrowed.

"Did I say there was one?" Robin answered with a question of his own.

"There has to be. Why even consider the option of having Chrom kill Grima and shoving the problem onto his descendants if you could permanently kill Grima with no issue?" Azura responded.

Robin let out a bitter chuckle. "Well, yeah. That's a great point. You see, I could kill Grima, and he'd be gone forever. But the thing was, if he disappeared forever… I would too."

"What?" Azura breathed, tensing.

"But… that doesn't make sense!" Corrin objected. "You said it was the Hierophant that claimed Grima's power, right? So why would killing Grima hurt you? You weren't the one possessed."

Ah. There it was. That.

"About that…" Robin trailed off a little before picking back up. "That's not entirely true."

"Huh?"

"You remember what Izana said, about me feeling like I'd been cursed, or had made some sort of spirit contract, or had some sort of generations long spell done on me?"

Two nods.

"There may have been something done to me when I was born. Some special way of passing on the bit of Grima's power that made its way through my bloodline. Or perhaps I was simply born with it, no special ceremony done. Either way, though Grima may not have possessed me in full, I carried a part of his soul within me.

"So if I were to kill him… I would be killing the part of his soul within me as well. A piece that had been there so long it had melded with _my_ soul, and had become one in a way that meant if it died, I would die as well.

"So, there were two choices. Chrom could kill Grima and I would live, but the people of the future would have to deal with Grima's madness and destruction again. Or, I could kill Grima and spare the people of the future, but I would die."

Corrin frowned. "You chose the second option," she stated.

Robin shrugged. "And you've learned. Of course I did.

"Chrom wasn't very happy with my decision. But in the end he couldn't stop me. The battle began, and we both rushed ahead. He was caught up in a battle with several Risen. I was able to continue forward, moving until I was in front of the Hierophant. In front of Grima.

"We exchanged words. He tried to tell me I was making a bad decision. I assured him my choice was for the best.

"I cast the strongest thunder spell I could."

A pause.

"He fell."

And then…

"You're still alive though," Corrin said. But she did look a little unsure of herself, he he had to admit.

"Now isn't that something to explore," Robin replied in a cynical tone. "If Grima were to die, I would die as well. But… he didn't exactly die. Not entirely.

"You see, there were technically two Grimas on that battlefield. The Grima of the present, who was the gigantic dragon we were all standing on; and the Grima of the future, who was possessing the Hierophant. When I cast my thunder spell, I hit the Grima of the future. But for some strange reason, it was the Grima of the present that died.

"Future Grima had had a vessel for a while. He knew how to control it, he knew how to control the energy of the spells it could use, and he knew how to possess. My guess is that when his body - the body of the Hierophant - died, he transferred as much of the blow as he could into the Grima of the present, killing it as he tried desperately to find some way to survive.

"The only way for that was for him to find a new vessel. And lucky enough for him, there I was, healthy and alive and already containing enough of his soul to make the transition smooth.

"I didn't realize it at first, the blow I'd dealt Grima having not only hurt him, but me as well. I felt numb while at the same time everything ached, and the odd pain in my chest I associated with dying. With having my soul ripped away from me as Grima died. Now that I think back to that moment, I'm pretty sure that pain must've been not the pain of having a soul taken, but the pain of having one added. The Grima of the future came to possess me, weakened enough by my attack that he fell into a slumber.

"It hurt like nothing I'd felt before, and I knew that was it. Thankfully, I lasted just long enough to have one last conversation with Chrom and say my goodbyes before I fully faded away, the world blurring around me until total darkness fell.

"The next thing I knew there were three voices talking above me, in an eerie echo of a situation I'd been in before. When I finally opened my eyes and focused on the speakers… I saw you two. And Jakob. But… I was alive, when I knew I was supposed to be dead. And I was in a place I didn't recognize in the slightest. I didn't know what I was going to do if you guys started asking me questions, so I played the amnesia card. I figured, if it worked for me once, it could work twice. But it looks like I wasn't entirely right about that. There is the difference of it being legitimate the first time and a farce the second, but either way, the jig is up now.

"So. Any questions?"

Both Corrin and Azura looked shocked. Speechless.

There weren't any questions for a good three minutes. The two girls were taking time to think things over, and whispering between themselves questions they weren't sure about asking, and things they wanted to make sure of before they spoke.

Robin could hear everything they said, but he didn't want to disturb them. He supposed that was likely an effect Grima had on him. Corrin was dragon enough to transform, and her hearing was pretty great. It made sense.

Azura was the first one to ask a question "Has Grima… done anything, since you woke up here?"

"Mm, some stuff, but nothing bad necessarily," Robin responded. "When I got hurt on the ship, it was him that had healed me. He'd been gathering energy since moving to my body, and had enough to keep me from dying when I got in trouble like that. He said he didn't want to be doing that again though, so I'm not going to look for danger like that again. I'm not sure if he'd even be capable of doing something similar. We spoke for a little while while I was unconscious, but then I woke up and he went to sleep, so we haven't had many chances to get to know one another.

"He doesn't seem particularly happy about being stuck with me, but he hasn't done anything malicious. I'm not sure that he can. Or if he'd want to. It is my body he's stuck in, and hurting me would probably hurt him too. I'm pretty sure he's influenced my thoughts here and there, because there have been some times when my thoughts have turned dark in a way they never have before, or some things I've thought about doing that I know I wouldn't normally think of. Nothing intrusive or powerful enough that I've acted on it. But it has to be him in there doing it. I'm not sure whether it's intentional or just some natural result of the proximity, and I haven't been able to ask him about it.

"He's the one the Rainbow Sage and I were talking about by the way, if you haven't figured that out. He's also the reason I have red eyes. Which is the reason both Selena and Laslow were so wary when they saw me. In their timeline, the Robin they grew up with had brown eyes, as did I until the battle with Grima. When Grima possessed that Robin, his eyes turned red. So when they saw a 'Robin' with red eyes… well, the eye color was the only thing that physically distinguished me from Grima, and seeing the man who destroyed your future right in front of you certainly isn't comforting."

Corrin looked slightly reassured, but wary herself. "Do you think he could make you do the sort of stuff that brought about Lucina's future?"

Robin shook his head. "No. This Grima is saner than that one. I guess I have some sort of calming effect on him, like your dragonstone has on you. Besides, we've reached an agreement, and I don't think he'll be taking control of this body anytime soon. He's napping for the moment anyway. I'll tell you when he wakes up, if that makes you feel any better."

Corrin nodded, adding a short "Thanks."

"I promise you two," Robin vowed, "I am not the man that destroyed Lucina's future, nor will I ever be. I will not let Grima take control of me while I am still alive and awake, and I won't ever do anything to harm you. I would die before becoming your enemy. I won't allow myself to harm an ally ever again. If I ever make a move against you, don't hesitate to stop me. So long as I am able, I won't let it come to that, but if it ever does…"

"It won't," Corrin supplied.

Robin nodded in response. "So, do we have any more que-"

A pained cry cut him off.

"Ggffh!"

Azura and Corrin stood up, looking around.

"That was from outside the door...!" Corrin voiced, running over to it. Azura followed.

Meanwhile, Robin had collapse forward, some odd energy rumbling around him. It was coming from the door, alright. But what was it? It made him feel sick. And not in the Grima's-grudge-against-Naga way either. Nor was it the sickness associated with fever or regular illness. This was… Robin wasn't sure how to phrase it.

Azura glanced back at him with worry. She and Corrin had paused at the door, wanting Robin to come over before they opened it.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Azura asked. "You never did explain what it was that was bothering you earlier."

Robin got to his feet slowly, and made his way to the door. "It was Grima. He's still asleep, but he kind of freaks out when I praise his enemy. Which results in me feeling abit dizzy and nauseous. This is different though, so-"

"Kkgghhh…"

Another pained noise came from outside the door, this one sounding more like someone struggling to breathe than someone who had suddenly been hit by a surge of pain as the first did.

It made the sickly power in the air around Robin intensify for a moment, and he swayed slightly. Corrin caught him.

"Open the door," Robin told Azura.

"Are you certain you'll be okay?" she asked.

"I don't think this feeling will get worse if you let us see the cause," he responded, freeing himself from Corrin's grasp.

Corrin didn't look too happy at Robin pushing himself off her, but she nodded at Azura to get the door.

When they opened it, it was to find Takumi writhing on the ground.

"Brother!" Corrin cried, dropping to her knees and holding onto him.

Takumi didn't respond at first, though he did stop moving for the most part, with only a small twitch remaining.

Corrin tried to get his attention. "Takumi, can you hear me?"

He looked up to Corrin, making brief eye contact, before letting his head drop back to the ground and closing his eyes. He was pale, and still looked to be in some sort of pain.

"Lady Corrin?" Jakob's voice called out, the man standing at the other end of the hallway. Behind him were Oboro and Hinata.

"Lord Takumi!" the prince's retainers shouted simultaneously, running to kneel at Takumi's side.

"What happened!?" Hinata asked frantically, looking Takumi over for any sign of injury.

"We don't know," Azura responded with a frown. "Something feels… off...about him, but I'm not sure what.

Oboro didn't look convinced. "You didn't hurt him…" Her gaze turned menacing. "Did you…?"

"I don't see any reason as to why Lady Corrin would even consider hurting her brother, nor any reason why either Azura or Robin would wish to do him harm," Jakob answered for them, joining the others as he crouched at Takumi's side. "Now then, you wish for your liege to get better, do you not?"

Hinata and Oboro nodded.

"Then back away and give the prince room to breath, and me room to heal him. You lot crowding over him will do him no good."

Everyone but Jakob, who pulled his staff from his back, and Corrin, who was holding Takumi's head, stood up and took a step back. Jakob then cast a mend spell, the magic washing over Takumi. He stopped twitching a few moments later, but Robin wasn't sure whether that was the effect of the mend spell, or simply the result of enough time passing since the incident that sent him down that he'd recovered enough to be still. Takumi was still pale, his breaths uneven, so he clearly wasn't doing well.

Jakob sent Oboro and Hinata away to prepare Takumi's bed so he could have a place ready to rest once they moved him, and then cast another mend spell. Not much happened. Azura looked like she wanted to say something, but never opened her mouth.

Instead, Corrin spoke. "I don't think the spells are working. What should we do? Just take him back to his room and let him rest? Or should we try to give him water or some sort of healing potion? If he stays in this condition, I don't think I can let him march tom-"

"I...I'm...f-ine…" Takumi choked out, breathing heavily but finally speaking.

"Takumi!" Corrin cried, at the same time Jakob scolded Takumi, yelling "Don't waste your breaths on speaking! Your breathing is shallow enough as it is!"

Takumi tried to say something under his breath, but it just sounded like a bunch of gibberish to Robin.

Takumi coughed a few times, but after a minute or two, his breathing had returned to a mostly normal state.

"Do you think you can walk long enough to reach our room?" Robin asked the prince.

He, Takumi, and Jakob were rooming together (originally Hinata was supposed to stay with them too, but he were worried about causing a jealousy match between him and Oboro, so Robin decided against it), so Robin and Jakob were in the perfect position to watch over Takumi while he rested.

"We'll support you on each side," Jakob added, helping Takumi move into a sitting position.

"..." Takumi didn't appear to be particularly happy at the notion of needing to rely on others just to walk, but he ended up nodding anyway.

So, Jakob got on Takumi's right, Robin on his left, and they both slipped one of Takumi's arms over their shoulders. They carefully made their way to their room, finding Oboro and Hinata talking to each other at the door. They moved out of the way so Robin and Jakob could put Takumi down on the bed, which had the covers shifted to the side and a glass of water next to it.

"Thank you, you two. We'll take it from here. You guys go rest," Robin told Takumi's retainers.

"You sure?" Hinata asked, worried. "Because if we can do anything at all then-"

Jakob snapped at them. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'too many cooks in the kitchen?' Because that is what we will have if you two try crowding into this room offering unneeded and unwanted help. Now shoo."

Hinata looked surprised, while Oboro was downright offended, but the two left anyway. Not without some grumbling from Oboro, but it made sense.

What didn't make sense was Jakob. That was a bit quick for him to get angry. Not that Robin hadn't seen him get mad before, but usually there was something more to cause it. That, and Jakob had been getting better lately.

"Are _you_ doing all right, Jakob?"

Jakob sighed. "Yes. Just a little… frustrated. Today has been rather taxing, and I'd like nothing more than to prepare Lady Corrin a cup of tea and to retire for the night. Yet here I am, caring for her mysteriously ill brother, whose retainers insist on making themselves present where they are not of any use. It's a bit of a cultural difference they don't quite understand."

Robin didn't get what he meant by that. "How so?"

"In Nohr, people mind their own business for the most part. Perhaps it is different in the lower parts of the city and in particular areas, but in the majority of the places I have been, people don't just randomly strike up conversations with strangers or those they barely know, and they don't force themselves into someone's business without invitation. One will ask for help and go away if they are not wanted. They don't repeatedly search for some obscure way they could be 'helpful,' nor do they follow you around like a lost puppy constantly offering to do something just because they can.

"The Hoshidans with us, and those in the towns we have been, are not so closed off. Numerous people have come up to me just to chat, or with questions I may or may not know the answers to, assuming I'll happily respond. They will impose themselves on me or try to involve themselves in my personal business in an attempt to 'help' when I would like nothing more than to be left alone and ready to cater to Lady Corrin's needs. Perhaps this is closed minded of me, but I much prefer the privacy of Nohrian life than the intrusions of Hoshidans."

Robin nodded. "I can understand that. To each their own, I guess. I like my privacy, and don't really fancy people trying to get into my business either, but I am the type to chat with someone I don't know if we're stuck waiting somewhere, and helping someone, even if they're a stranger, is something I'm inclined to do if I think they look like they need some assistance. So I'm probably somewhere in the middle of those. Different ways of life evolve in different areas, and there's nothing wrong with liking the world you grew up in. I'd just suggest you try to be a little more open minded. Yeah, what the Hoshidans are doing might not be very polite using the standards you were raised with, but they're doing their best according to the system they know. Maybe clue them in on your discomfort next time, or set some boundaries, rather than snapping."

"Mm." Jakob responded, removing the jewel from his… cravat? Robin wasn't entirely sure if that was the term for it. It was oddly twisted.

"Hah… Maybe Nohr isn't… _so_ bad," Takumi said quietly.

Both Robin and Jakob looked down at him. His face had gone from being pale to being flushed. Robin placed a hand on Takumi's forehead. He had a fever.

"H-hey," Takumi stuttered, trying to swipe Robin's hand away. He missed. "Weren't we just talking… about personal space?"

Robin blinked. "Oh. Yeah. We were. Sorry about that."

Takumi closed his eyes. "Hmph."

A knock at the door drew Robin's attention. Jakob, meanwhile, had crouched down next to the bed Takumi was on.

"Jakob, Robin?" It was Corrin at the door. "How is he doing?"

"He's recovering quickly. I don't know what it is that has affected him so negatively, but I so believe he'll be back to normal in a short time," Jakob responded.

Corrin gave a nod.

Robin looked over Takumi once more, and then toward the door, where he saw Azura waiting behind Corrin.

"Hey," Robin started, "can I talk to you two for just a minute? Nothing especially long. Just to finish up what we were talking about."

"That's fine with me," Corrin responded.

"As with I," Azura added on.

Robin made eye contact with Jakob, who motioned toward the door.

"Should we return to the room we were in earlier to finish this up?" Azura asked once Robin had exited the room and turned toward her and Corrin.

"I don't think it's necessary. If someone hears this part I don't really mind. It's vague enough, and if that leaves someone a little puzzled but still uninformed, that's fine by me."

Corrin agreed, so Robin said what he'd been thinking about since he'd finished his story.

"Are you two really okay with all of this? With everything I've told you? Do you even believe it's true?"

Azura sighed, and Corrin broke out a smile.

"Of course we're okay with it, and of course we believe you. Or at least, I do. I think Azura's the same…?"

"One hundred percent."

"Yeah. So we're fine, and you're fine, and you don't need to worry. That's a pretty… fantastic… story. Some things seem a little crazier or unlikely than others. But with the way you tell it, I don't think it's false. I can't imagine someone constructing such a weird fake past for themselves anyway." Corrin then laughed. "Besides, it only makes sense. A fittingly weird story for an oddly weird guy."

Robin broke out into a smile. "Oddly weird? I'm not regularly weird?"

Corrin's smile faded a little, and she began to pout. "Hey! Give me a break!"

"Never!" Robin shouted back, his smile growing.

"What kind of friend are you!?"

"A fantastic and oddly weird one!"

"A terrible one!"

"A terrific one!"

"You two…"

"And what does the great Lady Azura have to add on to this conversation?"

"I don't know where to begin."

"You could begin with quieting down, for one," Jakob said, stopping their conversation. "Prince Takumi has fallen asleep, and if you keep up your shouting, you may wake him. As we don't know what is wrong with him, rest is the best medicine we can give, and you are rather close to interrupting it."

"Ah, oops." Robin felt a little guilty.

"Sorry about that, Jakob," Corrin said, a guilty expression crossing her face as well.

"I tried to warn them," Azura said, looking above the situation.

"Uh, no you didn't." Corrin shot back.

"I did," Azura responded calmly.

"No, I don't remember that happening," Robin said, backing Corrin.

Jakob let out a heavy sigh. "Whether or not Azura tried to warn you, you've received a warning for me, and I would appreciate silence. There are other guests in the vicinity that can likely hear you, and I think they would appreciate some silence as well. It isn't the middle of the night, but it is late enough for some people to have gone to bed, and shouting distracts from sleep. Besides, you need your sleep as well Lady Corrin, if you're to stay healthy. I will prepare you tea shortly, if you'll only give me a few more minutes to get situated."

"Ah, sorry about that," Corrin replied. "And thank you Jakob. I'll be in my room, so you know where to find me."

"Of course."

With that, Azura and Corrin left, and Robin and Jakob went back into their own room.

Sure enough, Takumi was sleeping. His face was relaxed too, which was a good sign.

"Say, Robin," Jakob began.

Robin looked over to the butler. "What's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to know what Takumi was doing outside your room in the first place, would you? He left our room saying he wanted to talk a while ago, but he didn't tell me why," Jakob continued.

Now that was a good question. What had Takumi been doing there? And how _long_ had he been there? Had he heard Robin's story? Did he know everything?

Takumi was still asleep, so Robin couldn't ask him just yet. But in the morning… hopefully the prince would be well enough to answer a few questions.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Okay so while there's a ton of info in here you guys already know (as long as you've played Awakening... and I've read crossover stories without having read/played 1 out of 2 of the series so maybe there are some of you who are Fates only), but I felt it was important that we knew what Corrin and Azura did. And what Robin thought of some of the stuff that went on, as well as how it related to the Fates world. And while the beginning sucked to write, the middle and ending were a lot more fun. Also if anyone suddenly thought, "wait why are they in an inn when they have the astral plane" the answer is I forgot it existed. Just like I did the first time it appeared. Will I come up with an explanation next chapter? Maybe, maybe not. We'll just have to see. Hopefully soon. I fly out for classes on the 18th and after that I'll have less writing time, but since I have everything outlines I should be able to put out a chapter before then. It's a little after 5:00pm here in California so it probably isn't the 4th for some of you anymore, but it is for me so I made the deadline!**

 **Originally posted August 4th, 2018. Word count: 10,544 not including author's notes.**

 **Eruran (I will change my name to Mariyekos the day I post the next chapter) out.**


	23. Communication is Key

**Author's note: Guess who almost had a stroke when Castlevania was announced for Smash. I'm living. So much. Yeah Chrom got in too and that's great because Sm4sh hinted at it but holy hell. Castlevania. Richter still sounds like a total goofball, and Alucard has his Symphony of the Night design. I'm sad he's not a playable character, but at least he's in as an assist trophy! Also I'm double amazed because** **I was telling my brother how Simon or Trevor could make a great Smash addition and explaining how he could use an axe and holy water and so on like the day before the direct was announced and then boom. On another note happy belated birthday to Laslow (and me). Sorry I couldn't get this out on time, but whatever.** **Anyway that's enough talk of Castlevania and the past! So time to move on, and without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

When Takumi woke in the morning, he appeared to be totally fine. He was neither pale nor flushed, he was coherent and full of energy, and he kept insisting nothing was wrong. If it weren't for the fact that he'd seen Takumi collapse in a heap of pain the day prior, Robin would have trouble believing someone who told him of the incident. Takumi just looked and acted too healthy for someone who'd been in extreme pain the night before.

And because he felt fine, he insisted that he be allowed to march with them to their next location, and that they get started right away. Since he felt "perfectly normal," he didn't want to be stuck to his bed all day. He'd gotten his bedrest the night before, and didn't need to laze about any longer.

Corrin wasn't too happy with Takumi's pleas, though.

"No!" She told him, after he once again asked her to give him the Fujin Yumi back (which she'd stolen from their room last night while Robin and Jakob were out getting supplies for tea. She'd offered to look after Takumi while they were out, and used the event as an opportunity to sneak away Takumi's weapon while no one realized it. Clever.)

"Oh come on!" he groaned back, clearly upset with Corrin's stubbornness. "Look at me and tell me I'm not in tip top shape. Do it! You're not one to lie, right? So if it's the truth, then just tell it to me. Then I'll think about sitting this one out."

Corrin spluttered. "Uh, well…" She looked away.

The two had been going at it for about fifteen minutes. At this point they were attracting the attention of some of the other people in the dining hall, and if they didn't quiet down soon things could go south. Already Robin had seen several groups of people whispering to each other and throwing glances at where the pair sat, which did nothing to help keep their presence secret. Not that the group had made a particularly large attempt at hiding who they were, nor would it be even remotely easy given they were a large group of foreigners who'd shown up armed to an island to challenge the fortress there. But shouting at each other and angering the locals or the other tourists was no good thing.

What if they took the stories back to their homelands, and alerted the Nohrian or Hoshidan militaries to Corrin's presence on the island? Even if the group left before troops arrived, it would cause trouble for the people who lived in Notre Sagesse and Robin wasn't in favor of that at all. The best thing would be to stay relatively quiet and avoid bothering people, so those people wouldn't get many interesting stories they would want to carry home with them.

"What good is hiding the Fujin Yumi anyway? I have money, and there's a weapons shop here. Sure they only sell Nohrian style bows, but I can use one, and I _will_ go buy one if you don't give me Fujin Yumi back. I'm not going to turn into some helpless burden just because I got a little bit sick for a few minutes. I'm fine. So just give it back!" The volume of Takumi's voice went on a bit of a rollercoaster, quieting and increasing at different points, and Robin had had enough. They'd been arguing for a good ten minutes at that point.

"Look you two. I know tensions are a bit high after what happened last night and we all have our own ways with dealing with someone being sick, but now is not the time, nor is here the place, to be arguing like this. I don't think there's a single person in this room that doesn't know that Corrin has the Fujin Yumi. Which means everyone here knows that someone with something called the Fujin Yumi is here. And while the Nohrian guests, and possibly any locals who happen to be working here, may not understand how important that information is, I can bet you every Hoshidan in the room is freaking out over the fact that their prince, who has been declared missing and presumed kidnapped or turned traitor, is right in front of them. And that last part is very important, because being a missing prince, if you were to be found and brought home the person who found you would be very handsomely rewarded. Which means there is a _very_ good incentive for someone to actually kidnap you and bring you back to Hoshido. And if that happened, then you wouldn't get the Fujin Yumi back at all because it would be stuck with Corrin while you'd be stuck with some band of strangers getting dragged all the way back to Castle Shirasagi. Do you really want that to happen?"

That shut Takumi and Corrin up. He had a point, and they both knew it. They were being childish, and while they were both only teenagers, they should've known better. Robin wasn't that much older, and he knew how to restrain himself. For the most part. Jakob had gotten on him a little the night before too actually. But that was more acceptable. Right?

"Ah, uh, sorry Robin," Corrin responded, a bit shy. "I guess we got a little too excited there."

"What's done is done. Let's just move on to the next thing. And probably return to our rooms. No need to make it unnecessarily easy for people to eavesdrop on us."

Corrin nodded. "Good point."

"Any objections, Takumi?" Robin asked, looking over to the prince.

He didn't respond, and instead turned his head to the side, mumbling under his breath. He was blushing. Probably embarrassed, if Robin had to guess.

The three got up and returned to Robin's room, where they found Jakob and Oboro working together on repairing some of the clothes that had gotten damaged in the last battle.

"Lord Takumi!" "Lady Corrin!" the two said simultaneously, jumping to their feet and abandoning their work. They appeared to be pretty far along in making their repairs, based off the large pile of what Robin thought was finished garments. He was glad to see they could work well together when it came to it. Jakob didn't seem too happy with Oboro the night before, and Oboro had a thing against Nohrians. The two were working well together though, so that was a good sign their relationship was going along nicely.

Corrin sighed. "Jakob, I already told you…"

"Ah, yes, my apologies... Corrin," The butler replied, looking a little down.

Robin frowned for a moment, unsure of what had just taken place. Then he remembered when Corrin had asked Jakob to drop formalities, and it made a bit more sense. Jakob didn't need to sound so crushed by it though. She wasn't doing it because she didn't want him to help her. She just asked for him to call her by her name and her name alone because she wanted the two of them to be on an equal level.

"Is there something you need, Lord Takumi?" Oboro was still on the level of using titles, and Robin doubted that would be changing.

Corrin had grown up as a prisoner, and though she was technical royalty, she never had to deal with anything her title would get her. Thus, there was no issue with her having Jakob drop it. Sure, he probably did her laundry and stuff back in that tower, but from what Robin understood the two also played together and would eat together as friends did. If Jakob addressed her without a title, there wouldn't be many repercussions. Perhaps a scolding from Gunter, but that'd be about it.

In Takumi and Oboro's case, she'd been brought in as a retainer, and had been treated such by Takumi, the royal family, and countless others they dealt with. It was seen as terribly informal and almost insulting for a servant to not address their master with a title, so Oboro couldn't get away with dropping it like Jakob had been ordered to. They were constantly in public, and there were several people to monitor their relationship and make sure all the proper procedures were being followed. So was the way of royals. The Hoshidans had a great appreciation for ceremony, and getting so casual with one's superiors as to call them by their first name alone wasn't acceptable.

Not that Oboro and Takumi weren't close friends. They got along marvelously, and Robin had seen Takumi rely on Oboro for more than just standard retainer tasks, so he knew there was a good friendship going on. There was just also the fact that Oboro idolized Takumi to an extent. She modeled her hair after his, would often eat the same meal as he did, and took what he said to heart without really thinking it over sometimes. Which was, he had to admit, a little dangerous.

As a retainer, it was her job to do what Takumi said and support his endeavors, but from Robin's dealings with Frederick and Cherche he knew there was also a thought component that was supposed to go in there. A 'Should I really do this for them? Will doing this help my liege, or will it bring them harm in the future? Is what they're saying reasonable? Do they seem misinformed, or as though they're making a judgement with missing or incorrect information?' that Oboro, and sometimes Jakob, seemed to lack. In Frederick's words, 'a servant exists to aid their lord in every way possible. If they don't think their actions through, and follow an order that brings their lord harm, then they are not doing their job. It is essential that a servant or retainer considers both why their lord is giving an order, and what outcome it will produce. Not to say that I should verbally question every single order or request Lord Chrom gives to me, but I should still consider the circumstances and consequences of the request for at least a second, if not more when it comes to larger issues. It is my duty to Lord Chrom to make sure what he is doing is for the best and will not ultimately bring him harm, and it is in those moments of questioning that I fulfill a large part of that duty.'

So while it was good Oboro had such heavy trust in Takumi, it was a bit dangerous as well. Confidence was good, but so was momentary analysis.

Oboro's voice drew Robi's attention. "Of course, Lord Takumi! Just give me a moment to collect your things. Then I'll be out of your way. Just remember: if you need me I'll be in my room. So please! If I can help you in any way just call for me and I'll be right over."

Apparently Takumi had asked Oboro to leave while Robin had been caught up in his memories. That was sort of nice. But he felt bad making Oboro leave. The could just as easily gone to Oboro's room instead, so she wouldn't have had to pack everything up. But it was too late for that- she'd already started putting things away, and making her pack, then unpack again to stay where she was wasn't something Robin particularly wanted to do either.

"Should I go as well, L- Corrin?" Jakob asked, putting down his clothes as well.

"If it isn't too much of a bother. Not that we're saying anything I don't want you to hear! It would just probably be distracting if you had to listen to us jabber on while you tried to get work done. I don't want to mess you up while you're holding a needle. You might jab yourself, and then I would feel bad," Corrin replied. She then looked around, a puzzled expression on her face. "Where's Felicia, by the way? She knows how to sew too. Did she not want to help? That's not like her."

Both Oboro and Jakob's expressions darkened. Jakob's face twisted more into an expression of annoyance, while Oboro one of guilt or pity. That didn't bode too well.

Corrin caught on to the negative air. "Oh no. Please don't tell me she hurt herself again."

Jakob sighed, and began to pack up. He glanced over to Oboro, as if to offer up the spot for explanation. Oboro paused in her packing.

"She was here earlier, and tried to help. But then she ended up sewing two shirts together, and started trying to use this weird stain-cleaning method on one of Hana's shirts that may work for Nohrian clothes, but doesn't on Hoshidan ones. It ended up burning a hole through the fabric."

Oof, that wasn't good. They each only had so many clothes with them. Hana probably wouldn't be too happy with Felicia. And that girl could hold a grudge.

"After that, I asked Felicia if she would just leave the sewing and cleaning to me, since her previous attempts at helping hadn't gone so well. She didn't want to sit around and do nothing though, so she asked if there was anything else to do. I didn't want to completely turn her away, though Jakob did and I probably should've listened, so I told her she could help bring me my supplies when I needed them. Needles for some projects, patches for others, different color threads, and so on. Well, I have several different needles, and normally I keep them all in this little box. I'd moved around a little bit to catch the light as the sun rose and the light source moved, and gradually went away from the box. So when I got to a point I needed it again, I asked Felicia to bring it to me."

"Oh no," Corrin breathed.

"Oh no indeed…" Robin added.

Takumi didn't seem to understand. "What's so bad about her walking two feet with a box?"

Jakob scoffed. "I take it you've never seen her try to bring tea or dishes before?"

Takumi shook his head.

Corrin grimaced. "Felicia can be pretty…clumsy...at times."

"All the time," Jakob corrected.

Then Takumi seemed to get it. "Oh. Then did she…?"

"Tripped over the pile of clothes we had yet to get to, threw the pin box, and had it land on her head," Oboro responded.

"Which then made all the pins and needles fall out, and when Felicia tried to grab them she just ended up poking herself far more times than any person should have. Really, you would think she'd stop after the sixth prick, but no. We sent her back to sit with Mozu and heal up. Pinpricks and a head bump aren't worth the staff use," Jakob finished.

That was something Robin could understand. That sounded exactly like Felicia. And Sumia. She was pretty clumsy too. Those two would probably get along, actually. If there was ever some way to cross to Ylisse and back, Robin would like to introduce the women to each other. Both were great on the battlefield, but unbelievably clumsy in a domestic setting. Was Felicia able to make good tea, even if she couldn't serve it? If she could, then maybe she and Sumia could open up a little cafe, with Sumia making pies and little pastries, and Felicia making tea and other drinks. They would have to get a third person to serve their creations, since Robin didn't trust either of them with a tray full of food, but it could work.

"I might as well check on her, as long as I'm getting up to move rooms. I'll knock when I return, but if you need more time then you may send me away. I've other things to do, so don't cut yourself off or leave things unsaid because you're worried about me." Jakob bowed, then picked up the pile of clothes and a box full of supplies and followed Oboro out the door.

As they exited, Azura entered. She gave a quick hello to Jakob and Oboro as they passed by, and shut the door behind her, greeting Corrin, Takumi, and Robin as well.

"Have you begun planning our next move?" she asked.

"I've thought about a few things, but I haven't written anything down yet. Have we heard anything back from Reina yet?" Robin responded.

Azura responded in the negative. "No, but if she's sent a letter it's probably still on its way. Her kinshi is no slow animal, and if she's caught some other transportation service, while it may not be as fast as a letter-carrier, she's probably still far enough away that any message she sent back wouldn't arrive before the end of today."

Robin nodded. "Yeah, good point. These things take time, but waiting's just no fun. Not that we have much longer. There's a ferry set to depart for Port Dia tomorrow afternoon, so we would arrive in the evening or night three days from now and start our march the following morning. It should take us about a week and a half to reach the Bottomless Canyon from there, giving us a day or two of leeway before the skies change and our entrance to _that place_ is cut off."

"Are you certain Reina will get there in time?" Azura asked back.

Robin hummed. "Certain? No. Fairly sure? Yes. I don't know how fast the Hoshidans can travel, but based off how fast we went with a normal travelling company, which had to be inferior to whatever royals have, they should arrive around the same time we do, provided Reina convinces them within a day and arrives when we planned."

"Uh, pardon the interruption," Takumi butted in, "but what are you two talking about?"

"I have the same question," Corrin added.

Robin supposed it was as good a time as any to let them in on what he and Azura were talking about. He'd forgotten he hadn't openly declared it yet.

"When was the last time you saw Reina?" He began.

Corrin and Takumi looked at each other, then back to Robin and Azura.

"Dinner when Elise joined us?" Corrin offered, looking unsure of her response. Or perhaps feeling a little bad about not noticing Reina was missing. They weren't the absolute closest pair, but they still got along, and it wasn't fun being forgotten or realizing you were forgetting someone.

Robin nodded. "Yep. She left right after, hopping on a late ship to Notre Sagesse. Some special vessel that one was set to make the trip in only a day, rather than the day and a half it took us when we left the day after."

Takumi was the next to voice a question "What did she leave for?"

"Sending a message to your brother," Robin responded.

He then went on to summarize the situation.

Back in Cyrkensia, when they'd met with Xander and Ryoma, Azura had meant to tell the two men to meet up with Corrin in the Bottomless Canyon the day the skies were to change. Ryoma had left before she managed to deliver the message though, which meant that he and the Hoshidans wouldn't be meeting up with them in time unless someone went to them and delivered a message. Robin and Azura had almost forgotten it in all the commotion that went on, so they didn't have enough time to travel to Hoshido and inform the royals as a group. Instead, they decided to send a single messenger - Reina.

Not only was Reina Hoshidan and thus familiar with the land and the fastest ways to get around, but she'd been a respected member of the royal guard. Old enough to retire, but not so old no one knew who she was or would question her flying around for the sake of a mission. She was one of Lady Mikoto's personal retainers, and thus held high status in the country. It was unlikely that she would have been publicly denounced as a traitor, given her connection to Mikoto, who the people were still grieving over, and the fact that it would hurt the people to know that someone they had looked up to for decades had turned on them. Ryoma, Yukimura, and other members of the top brass had to know she'd sided with Corrin, but it wouldn't be common knowledge. That meant that people knew and admired Reina, and would help her if she met up with them. She would be able to use her status both to ask for help, and to get past checkpoints or guards stationed around Hoshido. If she said she was on a mission she couldn't give details on, she wouldn't be detained and questioned, as she also held a special seal given to her by Mikoto that granted her free and unburdened travel. And official business often had to be done as swiftly as possible, so seeing her rush to accomplish her goals wouldn't be nearly as suspicious as if someone else were to do the same thing - running or flying from place to place as fast as they could without answering any questions.

And most importantly… She knew Yukimura. The two were good friends, based on how she'd spoke of him to Robin. If anyone could help convince the man to allow Ryoma to leave for the Canyon, it would be Reina. Though they were royalty and of higher standing, Takumi or Sakura's pleas he could push aside as based off inexperience and youthful misunderstanding. Reina, however, was older, and had dealt with her share of conflicts. Her voice would be stronger, her suggestions and concerns harder to ignore.

Based off their current schedule, Reina would be about a week, perhaps a little more, ahead of them. That would hopefully give enough time for her to meet up with Ryoma, convince him to join her, and turn back for the Bottomless Canyon in time to meet up with Corrin. Whether that would work out though… Well, like Robin had said. That remained to be seen, and frankly relied on luck. He wasn't as sure as he'd pretended to be.

As for convincing Xander to join them at the Canyon, he'd received the message back in Cyrkensia. It was up to Laslow and Odin to convince him and Leo to follow it. Robin knew that sending one of their own, even if it was Elise or Camilla, wouldn't be any more effective than relying on the two retainers. Sending the princesses would probably be counter productive, even. Though Xander might have called Camilla a traitor back in Cyrkensia, Robin knew he still cared deeply for Camilla and his other sisters. He still wanted to take them back. So as long as Camilla and Elise stayed with Robin, they were bait, in a way. Or maybe not bait. That was a bit harsh. Robin would call it… motivation. Yes, they were additional _motivation_ to convince Xander to meet them at the Bottomless Canyon. If he wanted to see them again, he would have to make the journey to meet htme. They wouldn't be returning to him anytime soon.

Which was a little cruel, when he thought about it. But there were some things Robin considered to be for the best and that was one of them. If they truly wanted to go back… Robin probably wouldn't stop them. He wasn't going to physically prevent them from leaving, but he would try to convince them otherwise, of course. They were their own women, though, and it was their decision.

That decision was just one Robin was _really_ hoping they weren't going to try to make.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Takumi asked once Robin was done with his explanation. "There isn't much going on by the Canyon. Are we meeting up with some fourth party to explain something new, or what?"

Azura was the one to respond. "We're going to jump in."

Takumi's jaw dropped. "We're going to _what!?_ Are you insane!? We'll die! It's known as the Bottomless Canyon for a reason. Because it's so huge no one's ever gotten too the bottom, meaning if we jump in there's no chance we're going to survive the impact of the fall!"

"Perhaps that's the reason you've heard, but it isn't true." Azura corrected Takumi in a rather kind voice, but he still looked upset at someone telling him he wasn't right. "When we jump into the canyon, provided we do not hit ourselves on its walls, there will be no fatal impact upon reaching the bottom. This is because its bottom does not exist in a physical form - at least, not during certain points in the year.

"Instead, the bottom serves as a portal to another land. One where many truths I have been unable to reveal to you all will finally be able to come to light.

"Unfortunately, the window we have to enter this land through the canyon is almost over. The night the skies between Hoshido and Nohr change will be the last night the Canyon's portal is open for a long while. Time is not on our side, and if we do not get your siblings and the other Nohrian royals to join us before the change happens, then it will be too long before our next opportunity arises and we will meet our defeat at the hands of the one in control of the invisible soldiers we fought back in Cyrkensia."

"But why go to the Canyon? If the portal is closing, how are we supposed to get back from wherever it leads us to?"

Azura took a breath. "Technically the Bottomless Canyon is not the only place that leads to the land we wish to visit. And there will still be ways to exit the place that don't involve the Canyon. It is just the most convenient way for us to get there. It is in the middle of Hoshido and Nohr, and large enough to transport many people at once, which is exactly what we need. Xander and your brother both have countries to lead, and cannot leave for especially long periods of time. Though Garon still sits on the throne, Xander's an important piece to maintaining stability in Nohr, and with the turmoil Hoshido has gone through recently I doubt your people would be very comfortable with Ryoma disappearing for long enough to travel all the way to one of the other portals, then go inside, then travel back. Especially with the disappearing act he pulled not too long ago. We are also running on a time limit, and using the place most central to all the parties we want to meet with it the smartest and fasted move."

Takumi still wasn't satisfied. "That only answers half my question. Why go to the canyon? Why can't you explain what's going on here and now? Why couldn't you tell my brother and Prince Xander the details of what is going on when you met with them?"

Corrin chose to respond for Azura.

"Because we can't," she said. "I might not have been clear enough when I explained the first time, but I'll say it again. The land at the bottom of the canyon has some sort of hex or curse placed upon it that means we can't give the details. To explain what it is would hurt or possibly kill us. The only place it's safe to talk about it is in that place."

"Hm…"

Robin thought Takumi's questions were pretty reasonable. Azura hadn't really explained much about _that place_ to him, either. Robin knew that the leader of the invisible soldiers lived there, and that they needed to go to said land to defeat them and stop the invasion. There was just the question of _who_ the leader was, and why they wanted to destroy Hoshido and Nohr. And of why they had destroyed their own land in the process.

If Robin had to guess… he'd say the enemy was some sort of dragon. The Rainbow Sage created the Yato and the other divine weapons to assist him in the war of dragons, and now the Yato and other divine weapons were what he believed to be the key to defeating their enemy. A dragon slayer and its companions were perfectly suited to defeating a dragon. Archduke Izana's prophecy had to do with dragons as well. Maybe they had met with a dragon when they met the Rainbow Sage, but there was nothing that said that he had to be the only one.

If this dragon was still around from whatever age the war of dragons occurred, then it had to be pretty old. Just looking at the Rainbow Sage gave Robin an idea of how old. And of course there was the fact that many of the dragons from the war such as the Dawn and Dusk dragons had come to be revered as gods for generations. The Rainbow Sage was a powerful magic user, and assumed a human form, so he seemed well in control of himself. But Robin knew what happened when dragons aged and retained their original bodies. They went insane, and they wreaked havoc and mass destruction on the lands and people before them. Just as the leader of the invisible soldiers was doing.

Furthermore, if he went back to the odd Fire Emblem coincidence, it would only make more sense. The Fire Emblem of Robin's world assisted in the defeat of dragons. If the Yato was this world's Fire Emblem, and the Sage said it would assist them in defeating their ultimate enemy, it would fit into the Fire Emblem-Dragon Slayer/Stopper thing if said enemy was a dragon[1] .

Then there was the Hydra comment Flora had made when Corrin had asked her if the ice tribe had any information on dragons. She'd said she didn't know whether that was the name of a dragon or not, but Robin had researched the name later on and found references to some sort of winged serpent, which matched well enough with a dragon. But like with the Rainbow Sage turning out to likely be the dragon Izana had referenced them to, there was the possibility that Hydra was some other dragon entirely.

Robin needed to talk to Azura about it. She had some control over water, if what happened when she sang was any indication. She was also from the other land. So it would be fitting if Hydra, who Robin assumed to be a water dragon from the "serpent" and "hydro" connections, was based there as well. And the thing lived in her home. Whether or not she knew its name, she had to at least know whether it was human or not, right?

Regardless of its species, there was something living in _that place_ that was looking to destroy Hoshido and Nohr. Given the mass destruction seen in that place, Robin had no doubts their enemy was a formidable foe, and there was no way that Corrin' current forces alone could defeat them. To win, they would need more troops. If they could get Xander, Leo, Ryoma, and Hinoka and their retainers to join them… Well, it was still an extremely small group of people, but it was better than what they had.

"Takumi," Robin began, drawing the Prince's attention. "Being able to fully explain the details of this hidden land and the invisible soldiers is one perk of going through the Canyon's portal, yes, but there's more. Earlier Azura mentioned that if we didn't do the whole portal business, we would be defeated by the invisible soldiers we fought in Cyrkensia. Well, in addition to this other land being their homeland, it's also the base of the one controlling them. Someone who has it out for both Hoshido and Nohr, as we mentioned during the battle.

"The invisible soldiers clearly aren't fully human. They're translucent for one, and don't seem fully aware for another. All they can do is fight, not speak, and injuries mean nothing to them until they are killed. Now, whether they each have what was once a human at their base, or are simply creations by our enemy we don't know, but the fact of the matter is that unless we stop their leader, they will likely endlessly come into our land, driving a war between Hoshido and Nohr that will lead to mass or possibly even total destruction. From what we can tell, the leader isn't sending in his soldiers to conquer and rule, but to destroy. Which means if we want life in Hoshido and Nohr to improve or even continue as it is, we need to get rid of the soldiers and the one who controls them. To do this we need to go through the portal so we can fight the leader. Otherwise we'll be stuck here, trying to end both the Hoshido-Nohr war, and the war against the invisible soldiers, which would be a draining battle I doubt our side would win.

"So basically there's an evil guy living in the other side of the portal we need to defeat, hence why we need to go through it. Does that make sense?" Robin concluded his explanation, waiting for a response.

Takumi nodded slowly. "I guess so. But how did you find out about all this?"

"That land was my homeland," Azura responded. "You remember what I said in Cyrkensia, don't you?"

Takumi responded with a yes.

"Any more questions?" Robin asked the prince.

"No. I think that's enough to take in for now. It's a lot of information. But it makes sense. Sort of. Why someone would want to totally destroy everything, even a land that doesn't really interact with his own sounds crazy to me. But if that's how it is, then I guess we don't have much of an option. Fight it is," Takumi said.

Robin agreed.

When he thought about it, maybe Robin should have invited Camilla in for his explanation. As it was, Jakob was the only Nohrian who knew what was going on with _that place_ and the invisible soldiers. He'd been there for the first trip to the canyon, after all. But Jakob wasn't the best Nohrian representative of the group, since he was just a servant. Camilla probably would have been a good choice. Or Selena. She already knew what dealing with an unreal enemy was because of Grima, and she could hook in Laslow and Odin fairly easily. He'd probably just explain it to them at the Canyon, once Ryoma and Xander joined them. If they joined them. Hopefully.

Oh, and Robin supposed Gunter probably knew too, so Jakob wasn't the only Nohrian. But Gunter didn't count. Robin just didn't like the guy.

Corrin then cleared her throat, and addressed Takumi. "Now that you're finished asking questions, I have some for you."

"What's up?"

"What were you doing outside our room last night? And how long were you there?"

Takumi's breath hitched, and he looked to the side. He wasn't very comfortable with the question.

But, just as Takumi's questions had been well justified earlier, it was a good one. Jakob had said that Takumi had been gone for a while before he collapsed. And that the prince wanted to talk about something, but that something was a mystery.

Was the desire to talk just an excuse to eavesdrop? Or was it a legitimate reason that got swept away as Takumi grew curious about what Robin was telling Corrin and Azura? While Robin preferred to just have the two girls know for a little while, it wasn't as though he specifically didn't want Takumi to hear. Though, Takumi was someone he was a little on the edge about. Takumi was smart and capable, yes, but he could also snap to anger sometimes, or be overly suspicious. He had trust issues, Robin felt.

So, he had only invited Corrin and Azura to talk. Jakob was another candidate for that talk, but he also had the questionable-trust thing going on. Not that Robin felt either Jakob or Takumi would outright betray him, but he could see the two distancing themselves from him after learning some of the details, and possibly growing suspicious of his simple actions. That wouldn't be very good for his strategies or their teamwork, so they'd been left out for the moment. Robin wanted to see Corrin and Azura's reactions first. They were the most likely to recover and accept, and if they didn't then he knew he couldn't tell anyone else. But they were fine with it, so he'd likely get to telling a few other trustworthy people some details of his life too. Not everyone in the army, since they didn't really question it and he didn't think it would be too great to be spreading tales of his origin, but maybe Xander and/or Ryoma, once they joined, and possibly Camilla. Sometimes a mystery man was cool and exciting. Details optional.

Takumi then began to answer Corrin's question. "I left my room last night because I wanted to ask you what you were planning to do about Ryoma and Hinoka. If we were going to fightt hem, if we were going to avoid them… that stuff. Now that you've explained what you're planning with Reina I don't need to ask again. So that's fine."

Corrin kept silent, as if waiting for Takumi to continue. He didn't.

So, Robin decided to help a bit.

"And you were listening to our conversation for how long…?"

Takumi frowned. "I never said I was eavesdropping!"

Robin grinned, "No, you didn't, but you had to have been out there for a while, and the door isn't so thick it blocks out all sound. I think it would be fairly easy to listen in on us talking."

Maybe that wasn't the kindest way to go about getting information, but Robin wanted to hear the truth, and he didn't particularly feel like waiting for Takumi to edge around the subject until he finally got to the point.

Takumi's frown turned into a scowl. "Look, I didn't go to your room with the _intention_ of eavesdropping. I just leaned against the door for a second so I could see if you guys were talking, since I didn't want to interrupt. I was planning on walking away if you were, and entering if you weren't."

"Then why didn't you walk away when you heard we were in the middle of a conversation?" Corrin asked.

"...I heard you guys talking about a war that I didn't recognize. I was confused for a second, because I didn't recognize the names. I thought that it was some war you thought was coming between the tribes, until I realized the names were too foreign, and you were using past tense. I probably should have walked in to ask, but I was engrossed in the story and didn't think about it." Takumi paused, and then mumbled a bit. "I was also kinda worried you'd stop talking if you knew I was there because you didn't want to tell me so I…"

Takumi bit his lip, and resumed speaking like he had before. "After that, when you got to the dragons, I sort of blanked out. Like I was still listening, but I wasn't really there. I don't know how to describe it. You stole the Fire Emblem or something, and your friend's daughter from the future was there, and you were worried you were evil. You said you were some sort of vessel…" Takumi then trailed off again, his gaze shifting from the side to the ground.

"And?" Robin asked.

"And what?" Takumi replied.

"You don't care about what I said after that?"

"What you said after that? That's the last thing I heard. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and you guys were all freaking out over me. I mean, you went on for a couple more sentences after the vessel thing, but I don't really remember them much. Why? ...What are you guys looking at me like that for?"

Sure enough, Robin could see Corrin and Azura both had worried expressions on their faces, and he could feel the shock showing on his own. He'd gone on for quite a while after he got to the vessel thing. Maybe it wasn't for a long as he's been talking before that, but it was more than just a few sentences. Something fishy was going on.

But, Takumi seemed genuine when he said the vessel topic was the last thing he'd heard. And Robin believed him.

It just didn't make sense. Takumi didn't make that pained noise until well after that. And then there was the mysterious cause of his collapse. The foreign energy that had surrounded Takumi then was gone, so whatever it was didn't seem to be affecting him anymore.

Was… was he being used then? Some sort of spell that was meant to let the caster listen in on what Takumi heard, that ended up overwhelming him when it went into effect? Something that had dispelled once it was used up? But who would do that? Robin thought that sort of magic was more a Nohrian than Hoshidan thing, and Takumi hadn't ever been in Nohr unaccompanied. Robin supposed he could ask Orochi if magic like that existed anywhere in Hoshido, but he didn't think Takumi would be happy with him revealing something had happened to the prince. Or that Takumi would be happy when confronted with the idea that he was possibly being used by someone else.

For the moment, Robin would just have to do his own research. If that was even possible. They were on the move, and it would be hard to look up that sort of stuff. Their group didn't have many mages. Though… maybe Nyx knew something. Robin hadn't spoken to her much, so he needed to talk a little more to get a good grasp on her personality, but from what he could tell she seemed trustworthy and well versed in curses and the like. She didn't have many or any friends in the group yet, and he didn't see her telling strangers personal business. So she could be a good resource for Robin. Hm.

"Are you guys going to answer me?!" Takumi's voice was much more frantic, and Robin could see him starting to panic.

"Y-yeah! Of course!" Corrin replied. "Don't worry, everything's fine!"

Takumi scoffed. "Oh? It's fine? _Really_? Because your faces don't say it's fine. You guys are hiding something from me and I know it. So what is it!? What are you not _telling_ me?!" He balled his hands into fists, knuckles white. Clearly stressed.

"Takumi, calm down," Azura instructed him in an even voice. "We were a bit surprised because our conversation continued for a little while after what you last said. We thought you would've heard and continued. But you went through some trauma when you collapsed, and it's likely that whatever illness struck you, or perhaps simply your falling into unconsciousness, made you forget the last few things you heard. There's no need to worry. You've heard stories of soldiers stumbling back to camp after battle, and not remembering how they made it back, have you not? I imagine it's akin to that."

Ah, there was good old Azura, helping deescalate a situation as she was so good at doing. A calm head where they truly needed one. There had been a few people able to do similar things back in the Shepherds, but Azura was good at it in a way nobody other than Emmeryn had been able to match.

It probably wasn't akin to that though. Azura didn't seem to believe her own statement.

"..." Takumi loosened his fist, and took a deep breath.

"Do you want some water or something…?" Corrin asked her brother.

"...no." he replied. "I think I'm going to go lie down for a little while."

"Are you sure? I can-"

"Yeah. I'm sure. Could you just...give me a little while?"

"Ah…" Corrin looked to Azura, who nodded. "Yeah. We'll be in our room if you need us."

With that the two girls left, and Takumi lay down on the bed. Robin was still in the room, but looked toward the door for a moment.

"Would you like me to leave too, or am I fine here?" he asked.

Takumi stayed quiet for a good thirty seconds, and Robin thought he wasn't going to respond. But, Takumi did deliver a reply.

"...You can stay. I-" Takumi stopped abruptly, before whispering quietly enough Robin figured Takumi probably didn't intend for him to hear. "I don't want to be alone again."

Well, that made Robin feel bad. Did he think he was being abandoned?

"Would you prefer I get Hinata or Oboro? They know you better, so-"

Takumi had originally faced the wall when he got on the bed, but turned to face Robin for his reply. "No. If they find out they're not going to stop pestering me about it. They'll tell me I _have_ to lie down and will probably blab to Sakura or Ryoma when we see him again, and then I won't be allowed to go back into battle at all.

"I'm okay. I mean, I feel fine. Sure maybe I passed out yesterday for a little while, but Azura said that happens. And while I still don't one hundred percent trust her… she's right. She had to be. I was exhausted from travel and battle and I passed out so of course I don't remember something. It's simple. So I'm perfectly fine. Those soldiers get better, and so will I. There's nothing wrong with me, isn't that right?"

The last bit might've been said as a rhetorical question. But Robin answered anyway. "I hope not."

Takumi shot up. "You _hope_ not? Don't you mean 'yes, there _is_ not'!?"

Ah, there was that panic again. That wasn't something Robin was particularly happy to see, but it made sense. Takumi was a bit defensive, and he was clearly dealing with a touchy subject. He was being a little more skittish than usual though, which wasn't the best sign.

"Yes. I hope not. I can't say there isn't anything wrong at all though, as much as I would like to."

Now Takumi was starting to shake. With anger or fright or some mix of it, most likely. "Why not…? Azura said nothing was wrong with me. And maybe I don't completely trust her, but I've known her longer than I've known you. Why should I believe you? She said I'm fine. So I have to be!"

Robin hummed. "Mmm, it's more like you want to be than you have to be. And I know if I was in your situation I'd want to be fine too. After all, when I was confronted with the possibility that there was something dreadfully wrong with me I tried to convince myself that it wasn't true either at first. That the people around me who said I was fine, _hoping_ I was fine, were right."

Takumi's shaking died down a little. "And when was that?"

"I don't remember the exact order I said things in last night, so you may or may not have heard this, but my memory goes back farther than the moment I met Corrin. You heard me talk about war, and my encounters. Being a 'vessel' of some sort, yes?"

A nod.

"Well that's what I am. What I was born to be. How happy would you be to find out that your life isn't your life - that you were created to be a tool for others? That you were made only to serve a being who was meant to slaughter your friends and destroy the land you called home? If that was you, you would try to deny it as well, wouldn't you?

"There were signs something was up before I found out about the vessel thing, too. A voice in my head, visions of things that weren't there to anyone else. Strange dreams that seemed like memories, except they were of places and times I couldn't have been. It was so obvious that something was wrong. But I was in the middle of a war, and I was important. I had friends and comrades in arms, and I didn't want to disappoint them. I thought that if they knew something was wrong with me they would force me to sit out and move on without me. I would be useless, and I would fall behind.

"So, I said nothing. And eventually I was used as a tool to deliver our most prized possession to our enemy, because I had been so in denial I couldn't see the signs right in front of me that I wasn't stable, and that that enemy was right at the center of that instability.

"Well, I could tell I was unstable to a point. But I would chalk it up to not getting enough sleep, or having a stressful position. My instability was, in my mind, a result of my environment, not something that lay within me. And we suffered for it. I still feel guilty over what I did, even though my friends have forgiven me for it. I still look back and think, 'if only.'

"So what I'm saying is this: There used to be something very, very wrong with me. There still is, really, but I've learned to manage it. Or it has become less aggressive. It's a bit complicated. But when it was still strong, I didn't want to acknowledge there was something wrong, and it hurt me and many others. I don't want the same thing to happen with you. We don't know what's wrong with you, and chances are it's not as severe as what was wrong with me," _because that would be pretty damn impressive if that was the case,_ "but regardless of the severity, we should still treat it as a problem and work to solve it. You shouldn't have to suffer in silence because you're worried you'll lose your friends or fall behind because of some mysterious illness or issue. I want to help you before you're saddled with regret or guilt or anything of the sort."

And that was that.

"..." Takumi broke eye contact once again, staring at the floor. He'd calmed down once again, which was good. He'dd likely spent several hours before talking to Corrin thinking about what was wrong with him and what it meant, and worked himself up over it. Add in his argument with Corrin, and he had to be almost overwhelmingly stressed. And when he was confronted with it all, no wonder he was so close to just snapping. No wonder he had lashed out.

It hurt, to be told there was something wrong with you, or even that the possibility existed. That was why Robin had existed in denial for so long. Why it took until the Dragon's Table to figure out the true connection between him and Validar. Maybe he wouldn't have connected the dots to make 'fell dragon's vessel' without the information provided that day, but he probably could've figured out 'Validar's tool' or 'somehow possessed/possessing a split personality/mentally unstable' beforehand. He might have been able to stop himself from doing some of the things he did.

Back then, he had a great relationship with the Shepherds. He could make a fairly good show of confidence when he needed to. There was much less of that staring-at-the-ground, yelling-when-confronted stuff that Takumi was prone to. But Robin still occasionally felt crushed by the idea of being left behind, and if he - who was older and around more people he had a solid relationship with - felt that bad, then Takumi had to feel a million times worse. Takumi already had an unhealthy desire to prove himself to others. Such a setback wouldn't be good for the teen.

And teen he was. What was he, seventeen? Maybe eighteen, but Robin doubted it. And he grew up in a family he looked nothing like, as the third child behind an overwhelmingly powerful brother who looked just like their father, and an intensely outgoing older sister who inspired thousands of people with her strength and drive. Add in a sweet younger sister who was beloved by the whole nation… Takumi already had a lot of doubt and insecurity at his core. Robin was lucky enough that, even though he was unsure of his past, he had nothing directly negative to drag him down with. And his doubts only ran back a few years, not a lifetime. So he started off on more stable ground than Takumi did, but even then had troubles.

"So there is something wrong with me then?" Takumi said in a quiet voice.

"I'm not absolutely certain, but… most likely."

"Damn it…!" Takumi bit his lip again, this time hard enough to draw blood.

"H-hey!" Robin stuttered, jumping up and grabbing a handkerchief Jakob had left on the table. He handed it to Takumi pointing to the prince's lip. Takumi accepted it sullenly, but kept his eyes away from Robin. He seemed tired.

"Look," Robin continued, "just because there might be something wrong with you doesn't mean you're a bad person, or that you're useless or have to sit out. You don't have to tell everyone that something's up. Nag-"

 _Ah. Probably not a good idea to say that. Can't have myself collapsing on him while trying to give this of all talks. I have to confront Grima about this when he wakes up._

"Er, heck, you don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to. This can be between you and me. Corrin and Azura are pretty good. If I tell them to drop the issue, they won't bring it up. We can tell Oboro and Jakob that it was just exhaustion and a missed wound that we hadn't noticed before that caused you to collapse, and they should leave you alone."

"Jakob healed me, didn't he? How could we convince him there was a wound if he saw none, and there was no blood?"

"We'll say it was internal. I'll make up a story about someone I knew in my old group who had a similar thing happen to him. That he'd been pierced through the gut in battle that day, and while he'd been healed on scene, it turns out he'd only been healed on the surface, and that he'd continued to bleed internally for a little bit. We didn't realize what was wrong until he collapsed later that day, clutching his abdomen. It gave him slight discomfort for a while and he knew something was wrong, but just assumed it was an ache from the wound, until suddenly the pain was overwhelming. So when we went to heal him again, we couldn't see any surface differences, but the internal wound was healed and he got better."

"Does it really work like that?"

"I'm not totally sure, but I think I can convince Jakob. Let's not worry about that for now."

"Thanks."

"No big deal! Like I said, I just want to help you. I won't tell anyone else about this. It's up to you."

Takumi nodded.

Robin then asked a question: "Would it be alright with you if I looked into this, though? Possibly asking one of our recent recruits? I wouldn't mention you by name. Or your illness directly. I just want to see if there's anything I can do."

He wasn't totally sure whether he wanted to question Nyx on the matter yet, but Robin at least wanted to know if the option was open. There was no guarantee she knew anything of use, but there was the possibility she did. And with how upset Takumi was, asking her without his consent wouldn't make anything better.

"Sure. Just… make sure they don't tell anyone else anything. And please be careful. I don't want anyone to find out. Especially not Ryoma. Not him."

This time it was Robin's turn to nod. "Of course."

"One last question," Takumi said. "What happened with you? The thing you didn't see; the thing you regret? What was the cause of it? You didn't really explain that part."

"Ah, that…"

He hadn't really wanted to answer that question. Talking about it wasn't particularly fun, and he'd already spent a while the night before telling the tale. But Takumi had blanked out when he got to that part, apparently, so Robin explained the Grima situation again.

Takumi stayed silent throughout the entire explanation. He didn't have a single question either. All he said was a single "oh."

The two went silent after that.

Robin then spoke. "If you want to take a nap, I'll wake you up in an hour or two. We're leaving for Port Dia tomorrow, but I'm planning on telling everyone tonight. I'm going to gather everyone to explain some things to them, but you've already heard the most important things so you don't have to come again. Do you want me to wake you in time for that, or should I come for you after?"

"Before. I don't want people to wonder why I'm not there and get all nosy."

"Got it. I'm going to go walk around for a bit. See you later!"

"See you later, Robin."

Robin walked to the door.

"...and thanks."

He smiled. "You're welcome, Takumi."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **You know what. Outlining is a really good thing. If I want to boost wordcounts or something because seriously whenever I make a good outline I end up not covering half the stuff I planned and having to make two chapters. By the way this chapter originally had a stupid pun for the name but I didn't cover that stuff in this chapter so it's saved for the next one. If I don't convince myself not to put the stupid pun in. We'll see. Other than that... I spent over 120 orbs on the banner with Flier Olivia, but she never came home either. I did get another 2 or 3 regular Olivias though. now she's 5* 40+8. I've decided that I'm going to start hoarding orbs until Zeke or Tatiana shows up. No exceptions. Unless something amazing happens. Which sucks because I really want to pull on this dancer banner but oh well. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Takumi? Because I do. That's all. I can't believe I wrote 9,600 words (exactly!) in 6 days. It's been so long since I've done that. It would have been 4 or 5 but I hurt my hand pretty badly and couldn't really use it for 2 days. I considered waiting to post this just in case I take forever to post the next chapter, but oh well. I leave for college in just over a week. Maybe I'll write during my flights. Thanks for reading.**

 **Originally posted August 10th, 2018. Word count: 9,600 without my excessively long Author's notes.**

 **Mariyekos (man that's weird to write. But I finally changed my name! No longer Eruran.) out.**


	24. Let it Rain

**Author's note: So. I've started college. It's quite time-consuming...so sorry about the delay. This is a short chapter compared to the others, too. I'm going to try to do NaNoWriMo this year so hopefully you'll see another update or two before the end of the month! I actually fulfilled today's goal writing a Castlevania fanfic so I'm not sure how much of my Nano count will go toward this fic, but eh. I'll write what I will. After this we shouldn't have any scenes from perspectives other than Robin's for a while, I think. Now without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

When she'd left Hoshido to join Corrin, Reina hadn't imagined she'd be going to the capital again so soon. She thought she would be at war for at least a full year, if not two, before she saw Castle Shirasagi again. Yet there she was, flying back to the castle as fast as her kinshi would take her, aiming to speak to the royal family.

She'd been looking forward to the fighting, so it was a bit disappointing she was being used as a messenger rather than soldier. Her mission was to get to the capital as soon as possible, avoiding any and all conflict. That meant no small battles, no bloodshed. Good for her people, she supposed. Anyone she had to fight this far into Hoshidan territory would likely be Hoshidan themselves, and she had no desire to cut down her own countrymen. But the lack of fighting wasn't that great for herself. There was nothing like a good cut and the smell of coppery blood to pick up her mood. Healing herself through dealing wounds to other. Like one of those Nosferatu spells the Nohrians used, but with a mental, rather than physical effect on herself. Perhaps the thrill she felt at seeing bloodshed wasn't the healthiest thing to other people. Especially not to her parents, who would be horrified to see the scars she bore from years of battle. But it was something that rejuvenated her, so she would miss it.

As much as she loved and longed for battle, she has been given a mission by Lady Corrin, and it was one she was going to follow. She hadn't ever disobeyed Queen Mikoto's orders in order to go off on her own and pick a fight, and she would continue her loyalty in allegiance to her late Queen's daughter. She would do her missions as told, and revel in the scent and feel of blood once she had done as asked and was assigned to a new task. It just meant she would feel down for a little while. That was bearable.

It had been six days since she'd left Corrin and their group, and three since she'd arrived on land, and overall her travel had been bland. Only two stops by officials, no more than five minutes of questioning each. Was she just that well known and respected, or were the guards slacking? She hoped it wasn't the latter. Queen Mikoto had worked hard to ensure the peace of her country and safety of her people. Reina would be upset if those were compromised because of some slacking guards.

In any case, she was fortunate to have caught the winds at her back, increasing her speed and decreasing her overall journey time. As it was, she wasn't sure she was going to make it to Castle Shirasagi in time. Her kinshi could only fly for so long before it needed a break, and she wasn't going to push the animal past its limit to the point it hurt itself. Robin and Lady Azura had both said that fortune wasn't on their side when it came to trying to get Ryoma and his men to meet them at the Bottomless Canyon in time, but that didn't mean she wanted to fail at her mission, even if it wasn't completely unexpected. Not only for Robin and Lady Azura, but for Lady Corrin's sake. Reina could see so much of Mikoto in the girl that she didn't even know - all the little gestures the girl performed that she'd learned over the course of the childhood she'd forgotten, little phrases she occasionally said that had made Queen Mikoto stand out among the rest of Hoshidan court life.

Below her, Reina saw the head of a pegasus, followed by its rider. Two more figures on pegasi approached, a kinshi knight trailing behind Reina. She slowed her kinshi, though she did not stop it.

"Can I ask what the reason for this sudden company is?" she called down to the first pegasus rider she'd spotted, who had risen to her side. They were a falcon knight based off their armor.

"Reina, we ask that you stop your kinshi and explain what you are doing, rushing through Hoshidan skies as you are!" the falcon knight shouted back to her, his voice being carried away from her by the wind. "We have received word from the two checkpoints that you are headed to Castle Shirasagi to meet with Prince Ryoma on royal business! However, given Queen Mikoto's passing, we believe it is unlikely she has given you instructions! If that is in fact true, then we, Lord Yukimura's appointed guard, wish to know what they are as to best serve the Queen, on Lord Yukimura's orders! Please cease flying and speak with us!"

Reina considered what the man had to say, planning a response.

Then the kinshi knight that had been trailing her flew to her side, pulling out a rope with a hook on the end. Now _that_ wasn't a very good sign. Would she get a chance to battle after all? Maybe the trip wasn't too terrible.

"Reina! We have orders to capture you, kinshi dead or alive, if you do not comply with our requests, so please decrease your speed and land so we can clarify the situation!" The knight had one grip on her kinshi, the other on the rope. It was interesting that the woman didn't just use an arrow. Perhaps attaching a rope to the end of the arrow would ruin its trajectory, but it would still be effective in stopping her. What good would a hooked rope do? The kinshi knights or central flight guard had fallen while she'd been away for the past few months. Perhaps it would be best to talk to Yukimura about taking up a training position once the war was over. The way the two pegasus riders who'd yet to speak rode their pegasi was almost offensive to a senior rider as herself. They'd never had made top positions in the flight guard in her day.

Reina yelled her response back to the men. "I have urgent orders to see Prince Ryoma, and stopping won't help me make my way to Castle Shirasagi to speak with him! While you may have a crest from Yukimura, my crest and permissions come from a higher power, and thus any attempt to stop me is illegal! Only permission from Prince Ryoma himself have any grounds to stop me, and I'm running on a particularly tight schedule as it is!"

With that, she gave her kinshi the direction to speed up, and it surpassed the four riders alongside her.

"Reina, this is your last chance before we attempt to stop you using force!" the falcon knight yelled to her.

Reina chose not to respond.

Force was fine with her. Base on the skill with which her opponents flew, she felt it would be a reasonable battle, especially if she kept at the speed she was flying. For whatever reason, the kinshi knight of the group had no bow on her, and the falcon knight and two pegasus knights held regular naginata that couldn't reach her with any sort of ranged attack. She wasn't even going as fast as she could, and already she saw the others struggling to keep up. Even if they did get back to her side, she knew they wouldn't be able to aim any sort of powerful attack without risking falling of their mount or making it veer to one side.

A highly trained pegasus or kinshi could balance itself even when its rider shifted their weight to one side. But these were young, and their riders not experienced enough to manage that.

Really, she had to sit down to talk with Yukimura about the state of the flight guard once she had the chance. It hurt her heart a little to watch.

"Please, Miss Reina!" one of the two pegasus knights called out to her, voice quiet and only reaching Reina because of the strong wind blowing back from the knight's position forward to Reina's ears. "If you wish to speak to Lord Ryoma, then going to Castle Shirasagi will not help you! He, Lady Hinoka, and Lord Yukimura are all at Fort Jinya!"

"Oh," Reina said to herself, directing her kinshi to slow to a stop. Three out of the four riders passed her. Only the pegasus knight who'd just spoken stopped at her side.

Reina raised her voice to speak to the girl, as her kinshi kept her flying in place. "They're at Fort Jinya, you say? Not Castle Shirasagi?"

The girl gave her the traditional salute of the flight guard. "Yes ma'am! I wasn't informed of the exact reasons why, but I assure you they are at Fort Jinya at the moment. If you wish to speak to them, then it would be best to stop there, rather than continuing on to the castle."

"Hm…"

So she wouldn't be seeing Castle Shirasagi as she'd anticipated. And it looked as though she wouldn't be battling after all. Both slight disappointments, but better for her mission in the end. Fort Jinya was much closer than Castle Shirasagi. If there was some sort of delay then perhaps they would cut it close, but as long as she convinced Ryoma to join her in a day or two, all her time worries would be gone. How fortunate! And the fewer battles she engaged in while working for Lady Corrin, the better. Especially as some people believed her to be acting in Queen Mikoto's name (which she was, to a point). She didn't wish to stain either of their names with reports of violence against their own people. So the two, while not precisely what she'd been hoping for, weren't terrible either. It was for the best.

"I think I'll be heading to Fort Jinya then. Thank you for telling me," Reina said to the girl. She nodded.

"Of course, Lady Reina! But I would appreciate if you told us the reason why you're looking to speak with Lord Ryoma and the others. Please."

Reina smiled. "You know of Corrin, Queen Mikoto's daughter, do you not?"

The girl replied in the affirmative.

"At the moment, she's with Prince Takumi and Princess Sakura. I haven't been around Hoshido or heard much gossip lately, so I don't know what's being said of them, but I can tell you they all have good intentions, and have a message they wish to deliver to their brother. They don't have a personal messenger, so I with my kinshi am the fastest way to get that message to Lord Ryoma. It is for them and for that reason that I need to speak with the prince. Is that an adequate reason?"

The pegasus knight nodded. "I think so, Lady Reina. But I still ask that you allow my partners and me to travel with you. To set people's mind at ease."

"I can allow that," Reina replied with a smile.

The other flyers had gathered back around her by that point. They then took off, heading for Fort Jinya.

* * *

The flight only took a day, Reina and the other flyers arriving at dusk. The fort was crawling with soldiers, more than she'd seen in years, so the pegasus knight's claim appeared to be true. There wouldn't be that many guards if there wasn't anything precious within.

It was interesting to look around and see the changes that the fort had gone through since she'd last visited. Reina wondered if they'd made any modifications following the battle with Corrin, or whether there were at least plans to do so. While Corrin was an impressive fighter, Reina had been told of the battle and knew her forces were quite small. To win with so few people, against a group that had the advantage of defensive walls and strategic placing? Reina had seen the decline of Hoshido's forces during peacetime, as the Nohrians were kept out of the country by Queen Mikoto's craft, but that was a bit much.

It took five minutes before Yukimura arrived. Neither Prince Ryoma nor Princess Hinoka were with him.

"It's been a while, Yukimura," Reina began, giving him a slight bow of her head. Just small enough to make that little pout he was so fond of making appear on his face.

"It has. I've received word that you've been fighting with Corrin's army for the past couple of months," he replied.

"I have been. She's a lovely girl, Yuki. Reminds me so much of her mother, though she's certainly her own person. You two should talk sometime, and get to know each other."

Yukimura's slight pout turned into a more pronounced frown. He sighed.

Really, the man needed to lighten up a bit. Even Lady Mikoto used to comment on it. Yukimura had developed wrinkles years before he would have otherwise from the worry lines that appeared whenever he frowned. He'd been one to worry and make those faces since they were children, and it showed.

"It's a bit difficult to speak with the commander of enemy forces when they aren't even in your country, and are on the move without a clear direction. Perhaps when she stops I'll speak with her again."

Again?

"Oh, have you two met before? Not counting when she was a child, of course. But, in more current times?" Reina asked.

"Ah, yes. You must know of her attack on this fort soon after she abandoned us," Yukimura explained. "I was there at the time, showing Sakura around the area. After Queen Mikoto's death and the conflict with Corrin and the Nohrians in the plains, it became apparent war was approaching. I thought it best to familiarize Sakura with some of the places she could hide or find protection if the need arose and she was forced to leave Castle Shirasagi."

"What was the impression you gained of Corrin?"

Yukimura took a second to respond. "She's a good person. Though she was in the company of Nohrians for so many years, she's nowhere near as bloodthirsty or brutal as I imagined she would be."

Reina chuckled. "I don't believe those characteristics are exclusive to Nohrians, Yuki."

Yukimura's frown loosened into a more neutral expression bordering on a slight grin. "No, they are not. I think you alone received enough reprimands back in the day to prove it."

"Oh, don't act as if I'm the only one who received scolding."

"You weren't, but you certainly had the greatest reputation for it."

The two stood there smiling for a moment, thinking of the past. Back when Queen Mikoto was still alive, and they were two of the closest people by her side. The two of them had been in close proximity to each other because of it. They'd spoken whenever they were both at the castle, and had gotten along well. A good thing, too, as it was certainly not beneficial to Queen Mikoto's sanity to have two people by her side constantly arguing. She and Yukimura had a similar outer personality. They were different once you got to know the two of them, as Yukimura would never enjoy battle as much as she, and she didn't have the patience to do some of the tasks he carried out on a daily basis. But, they were allies, and friends. She was counting on their friendship to help win the man over in aiding Corrin.

"Now then, you're not going to keep me waiting outside, are you? And before you try to tell me otherwise, I know Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka are here, and that they won't appreciate you hiding my arrival from them. We should take our conversation into the fort, and have them join us. I'll even let you take my naginata from me, so you don't have to worry about their safety. Not that I would ever attack any of King Sumeragi or Lady Mikoto's children without provocation, of course. But I'll accept being disarmed if it's the only way to convince you to let me to speak to them," Reina told Yukimura.

"No need to disarm. But, I still cannot let you see the Crown Prince and Princess. We can, however go inside. Perhaps while we walk you'll make progress with convincing me your cause is just, and that you deserve a royal audience," Yukimura replied.

The two then made their way through the fortress, toward the inner chambers. The soldiers looked uneasy when Reina passed. Like they were unsure whether they should salute her or stay at their original positions. It made sense. As far as Reina knew, she'd never been stripped of her rank or authority, and wasn't officially a traitor, so tradition would dictate they show her military respect. But she had been missing for ages, and word had likely spread at least among the people at the fortress that she was fighting with Corrin, thanks to the mouthy pegasus knights she'd flown in with.

Yukimura cleared his throat to draw her attention back to him. Her eyes had been wandering across the fort during the silence. "So, what is it that you have to say? Why come now, rather than later, and why come alone? As far as I know, your army has not faced any large troubles that would induce such urgency and recklessness."

"Recklessness?" Reina responded. "I wouldn't call my trip reckless. I arrived here unharmed, did I not?"

"Yet you easily could have been shot down. One woman against a country is not reasonable."

"It is when that country is made up of people who trust her, and she has no malintent toward that country. I was serving as a messenger, not a soldier."

"I suppose. But please answer the questions."

Reina nodded. "Of course." She paused. "What do you know about the changing of the skies between Hoshido and Nohr?"

Yukimura looked puzzled. "What anyone would know. That it happens every few decades, and that even though the skies are said to switch, Hoshido never gets as dark as Nohr, nor does Nohr ever get as light as Hoshido."

"And…?" Reina pressed.

"If you want to know more standard knowledge, there is none. But if you're looking for rumor and legend… I have heard that the changing of the skies triggers another change. Something beyond our world. The length and location of this change I do not know," Yukimura finished.

Well, it was good that he knew that much. Slightly disappointing that he didn't know more, though. She thought that as the head royal advisor, he might know more. It would make sense for the Hoshidan royalty to know of the portal in the Bottomless Canyon, given how long the country had existed, and how someone must have fallen in at some point. Then again, perhaps travellers were never believed. Perhaps the royal family did have legends of what had happened, but only the details of an "otherworldly place" had ever been recorded. Or the information had been lost. Reina didn't know.

In any case, his knowledge was useful despite how little there was. It would be easier for him to believe her with background knowledge than it would be for him to believe her if he knew nothing. The idea of travelling to another world was a fantastic one.

They had reached a door leading to the inner portion of the fort. A guard opened the door, and Yukimura and Reina entered.

The two sat down, and Reina gave her response. "Your rumors are fairly accurate. The skies will be changing in just under a week, and when they do the road to the otherworldly place the tales speak of will be cut off. Once that happens, travel there will become extremely difficult, if not impossible. I'm not certain of the details, since my being sent was a bit rushed, but that's the general idea."

Yukimura had an odd look on his face. "And how did you obtain this information?"

"Lady Azura," was Reina's response.

"Mm…" Yukimura glanced over to the door, as if he was waiting for someone to enter. Was it because he didn't want to continue their conversation? Or was it because he thought someone might be listening? "Why is this portal important to your coming here? Why should I care about it?"

"Because what lies in the other side is dangerous, and though we might not be able to go through once the portal on our side closes, those that lie beyond it will not be stopped, and will come to our land to destroy it."

"What proof do you have of this?"

"The port town in Nohr that Prince Ryoma stopped at during his disappearance. While there, he was attacked by the strange, invisible soldiers who come from the other world. Nothing like that exists in Hoshido, and while Nohr had its secrets, we both know they have nothing of that type there. They rely on the Faceless. Not whatever the odd things we encountered during that battle were."

"...these invisible soldiers, did they have a sort of purple glow to them?" Yukimura asked.

Reins raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Are you familiar with them?"

"I have not seen them myself, no. But I believe you, when you say they exist. That...matches up with something I kn- I have heard. As does this other land. I cannot deny that what you are saying might be true."

"Yet you hesitate?"

"I know you didn't come to speak with me, Reina. You're looking for Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka. To take them with you."

Reina nodded.

Yukimura continued. "While this invisible force is likely dangerous, and I do believe they should be eliminated, if they truly exist, allowing the entire royal family to follow you to fight them is not something I support. I can assume based off what you've told me that you are going to the Bottomless Canyon, and that you're going to go through the portal. That would take you directly into the enemy's territory.

"I do not know how large the enemy's army is, nor whom their leader is, nor the type of landscape or conditions you will face once you go through that portal. Corrin, as charismatic as she may be, does not have a full sized army behind her. I fear that regardless of the skill of her army, she may lose based on sheet numbers. If she loses and the princes and princesses are with her, then they will fall as well, dead in a foreign land where we cannot recover their bodies. Hoshido is already suffering with the loss of Queen Mikoto. The country's spirit would be crushed if we lost the Crown Prince and the others. And, if they died, the royal bloodline and the Dawn Dragon's blessing would be gone forever. The risks are too high in this situation. There are too many unknowns. So I'm sorry, but you will have to return to Corrin without what you came for."

Yukimura gave the slightest bow, and Reina sighed. He was being more careful than usual. Less accepting or willing to compromise. He must've still been worried and thrown off by Queen Mikoto's death.

But wait. There was something wrong with what he has said.

"How do you know where the portal is? I haven't told you," Reina said.

"Ah," Yukimura breathed, realizing his mistake. "That's a good question."

"And one you're capable of answering," Reina shot back.

"That I am."

"Will you?"

"Not yet."

"Then when?"

"Perhaps upon your return."

Reina sighed. "Really Yuki, there's no need to be so secretive. But if you insist… then I'm counting on you to hold yourself to your word and respond as soon as we lock eyes."

A chuckle from Yukimura. "I don't think I'll answer you that quickly, as it's not information I want spread too far, but I will answer."

With that the two sat in silence for a minute or so.

Reina, while glad Yukimura wasn't going to keep the information from her forever, and understanding of his reasons for not wanting Ryoma to go with her, wasn't content with what she'd gotten from her trip, however.

"So what am I to do now?" she asked. "Return to Lady Corrin and Robin and explain to them that this trip has gained nothing? That they will have to face the upcoming battles without support, knowing it will most likely doom them?"

Yukimura made a small noise, the sound catching in his throat. "Well, I can't-"

"No, you're not."

A new voice had entered the scene, cutting Yukimura off. It was Ryoma's.

"Prince Ryoma!" Yukimura exclaimed, shooting up into a standing position.

"Yukimura, I know you're worried for me, but I can't let this go on as it is. I can't leave Corrin to go running into such danger without support. Though she may have been raised by Nohrians, she's still Queen Mikoto's daughter. She's still my sister. I will not let any sibling of mine die if I can help it, especially since Sakura and Takumi are by her side," Ryoma explained, approaching them from where he'd just entered the room.

"Thank you, Prince Ryoma," Reina said with a bow.

Next to her, Yukimura was clearly upset. "Prince Ryoma, how long were you listening to us? If you've been listening long at all, then surely you heard me explain the troubles and issues that may arise if you-"

"Yukimura, I understand what may happen. But what kind of brother am I to let my siblings march to their deaths? What kind of king am I to let my subjects go off to a battle unsupported, especially since that battle is being fought for the sake of my own country?"

So Ryoma was going to go, regardless of what Yukimura said. If Corrin was Queen Mikoto's daughter, then Ryoma was surely King Sumeragi's son. The king had calmed down in his later years, but he was certainly headstrong as a young man, and Ryoma was no different. Passionate, determined, and sometimes frustratingly stubborn. Very devoted to his family. In this case, to the point of some recklessness.

But, though those things could be seen as bad by some, they were beneficial here. For Reina's, and thus Corrin's, goals at least.

"..." Yukimura's gaze had fallen to the side. "I understand your feelings, Lord Ryoma. You cannot let them go. But is there any chance I could convince you to simply retrieve your siblings and their retainers, rather than remaining by Corrin's side and thrusting yourself into danger?"

If he was anything like Sumeragi, which Reina knew he was after seeing him grow up through the years, the answer was no. And that was how he replied.

"Yukimura, I value your input, and I know you wish me only the best. But you're being too cautious here. I'm confident that the decision I'm making is the right one, and that Corrin's making the right decision too. So I can't just stay behind, or stop by Corrin's army only for long enough to take Takumi and Sakura back with me. I'm not giving them false hope."

"Then what troops do you plan do bring with you? I don't want a repeat of what you did in Cheve, disappearing on all of us without a word and without backup. If we hadn't managed to catch word of your destination and send in troops before that battle, I don't know what would've happened.

"Once again, you're putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Just yourself and your retainers will not be enough to win whatever strange war you're involving yourself in. So who are you planning to take, if my words cannot keep you here?"

"I'll listen to your recommendation on that. It's your job, after all. If I can't listen to your suggestion not to go, I'll have to find something else to listen to. Which and how many troops to bring seems like a good choice," Ryoma responded, a bit playful.

Though what was going on was undoubtedly frustrating Yukimura, the small appeasement tactic Ryoma was trying to work by still involving the man would hopefully make things better. He was stressed enough as it was, that much was clear. Reina doubted his heart would be set completely at ease by Ryoma listening to his advice on troops, but it would help. Somewhat. As a longtime friend of Yukimura, Reina was sure he wouldn't get a good night's sleep until the four (or five, depending on whether she counted Corrin. Should Azura be counted as well? That was a complicated question) members of the royal family had returned to the castle. But at least this way he wouldn't hurt himself too much with his worry. There was some peace to be found knowing he had helped his prince, even in a small way.

"When do we need to leave, Reina?" Ryoma asked.

"Tomorrow morning would be ideal," Reina responded. "We don't have much more time until the skies switch, and once the switch occurs we will no longer be able to travel from the area we're going to, which will delay to the point our loss will be almost guaranteed, if Robin and Lady Azura's words are any indication."

Ryoma nodded. "I'll go inform Hinoka and start preparing, then. Yukimura, in my absence I leave Hoshido in your capable hands."

Yukimura huffed. "Not for too long, I hope. I am an advisor, not a ruler. My place is at your side, giving you advice, not on the throne. Please prepare well and come back safe, Prince."

"No need for goodbyes now! I will be seeing you in the morning, after all."

"Perhaps, but I want to make sure you have the idea of returning planted firmly in your head before you go off doing anything crazy."

"Of course. Now good night, Yukimura, Reina."

"Goodnight, Prince Ryoma," the two replied in unison.

Once Ryoma had left, Reina turned to Yukimura with a smile.

"Thank you for doing this for us, Yuki. I know it doesn't help your heart much, but it will be worth it in the end," she said.

"It better be," Yukimura replied with a smile of his own.

"And I don't have to tell you to pick troops who won't go spreading news of our destination or travels around, do I?"

"Well you already have, so I would say not."

"Good. Now, are my chambers in any state for me to stay there for the night, or must I stay in one of the guest rooms?"

* * *

After several days of walking, the group was almost at the area Robin and the others had entered Valla from the last time. There was a slight problem with their route, though.

When they'd planned their route, they had planned it out so they would be able to get there as fast as possible, which meant going through the mountains. Which was a bit difficult, given it was an upward trek, but not impossible. Their legs would be much more tired or sore than Robin would like going toward a battle, but it was a reasonable sacrifice for the saved time.

But that wasn't taking the problem into account. See, when they'd read the map and talked to people living in towns along the way, they'd heard they would be walking through a region dominated by natural hot springs. Which would make things warm and probably more unpleasant, which again was not optimal.

Unfortunately, the problem (which Robin had been thinking about for the hour or so, once he realized that the area did not match the description of the hot springs he'd visited in his life) was that the hot springs only made up about a third of the region they'd been told was entirely dominated by hot springs. The rest… Well, they weren't going to have to worry about slogging through mud made by hot water. They were just going to have to watch for lava spouts. Because the ground they were walking over seemed to be part of a volcano.

Who would've thought it would happen to him twice?

Given, this time was a little bit different. The ground was flatter, and they weren't surrounded by the walls of a volcano. It was just like they were walking over a long piece of land that had lava running underneath it. Which was fairly worrisome, given they would instantly die if the ground underneath them crumbled away and dumped them in. That was _definitely_ not optimal.

"Ugh, why does it have to be so _hot_ here!" Charlotte grumbled from the back. "It's ruining my hair, and there definitely won't be any rich guys here. Not to mention I think I'm melting a little I didn't even know it could _get_ this hot."

"Be glad…you're not wearing armor," Benny replied quietly, breathing fairly heavily.

The man had a point. Charlotte was near bare, and Benny was completely covered, save his head. He had to be roasting in that armor. Kellam had nearly fainted during the volcano battle, and Benny's getup wasn't that much different. Robin wouldn't be able to put Benny on any sort of strenuous duty until they got out of the lava plains if he didn't want to risk the man hurting himself. When Kellam had fallen it had been so loud that even the enemies, who normally ignored the man (which was quite annoying, given armored allies were great for attracting enemies' hits so their allies could stay unharmed), heard the man slam into the ground. Thankfully he had just tripped in his exhaustion, and hadn't fallen into any of the open pools, but it was still pretty terrifying. Come to think of it, Kellam probably had passed out for a split second, and just didn't want to admit it. Robin would have to get on him for that when he returned. It was important to tell people about your condition, not only for your own sake, but the sake of others. It wasn't good if you were relying on someone to protect you from something, only to be hurt because that person was too out of it to help you.

But that was another time and place. For now… Robin took off his coat and folded it over one of his arms. His family was from the desert, and he liked the heat more than most people did, so he was normally good with these sort of situations. But his heat? This _humid_ heat? That was killer. Dry heat he could take, but this feeling of being sticky even without any sweat was deadly. Not that he wasn't sweating. He felt like he'd just come out of the ocean. A heated ocean. It was terrible.

Twenty or so feet away from Robin a large burst of steam rushed up from the ground, startling some of the people behind him. Robin just sighed.

"C'mon man, are you sure we shouldn't turn back?" someone asked him, Robin too hot to care who it was.

"Yes I'm sure. We're almost there. It'll take us longer to get out of this region going the way we came than it will take us to continue in this direction and get to the canyon."

At least, it would if the map was right. Which it had already proven to sort of not be. Hopefully that was just in geographic features and not distance.

"But what if we get hurt? You can see all the fire and lava. And the steam! What if it hits us? That last one was close!" Hayato shouted from the back.

Another sigh from Robin. He was getting a little annoyed (darn humid heat giving him a headache). "If you payed attention, you would notice that all the steam shoots and lava are coming out of very distinct cracks in the ground. As long as we avoid these cracks and the craters, we'll be fine. Hot, yes, but uninjured."

"Are you sure about that?" Hayato continued.

"Absolutely," Robin deadpanned.

He wasn't, but he was just going to treat it like he was because he didn't think he had it in him to consider all the ways his plan could get them killed in the area.

None of their troops had gotten killed when the Shepherds had their encounter with the hot lava place. So going off his previous luck, none of Corrin's troops would be killed by lava here, either. As long it was his luck that had done that, and not Chrom or Say'ri's.

"Na- Ugh, why is it that going through hot places is always the most 'convenient' path? Deserts, a volcano, a lava field… No, the desert shouldn't be included there. At least there I didn't feel like I was swimming," Robin muttered to himself.

Corrin, who was walking a little to his side, perked up a bit. "Wait a minute, what did you say?"

Robin frowned. "I feel like I'm swimming here. It's really humid."

Corrin shook her head. "No, no. The thing before that. About deserts and a volcano."

At that Azura sped up slightly, walking so she was right next to Corrin and able to hear the conversation a little better.

Robin grimaced. "Oh yeah, that. Back when I was with the Shepherds, we got in this situation where we were pretty badly outnumbered, and were looking for any sort of advantage we could get, or inconvenience we could force on our enemy. To make that advantage, or inconvenience, or whatever you called it, I decided to send my troops into a volcano. I was hoping that the enemy wouldn't follow, to be honest, but of course they did, so we had to fight in a volcano. One with lava. That would shoot out of these huge pools and then fall back down to the ground, either making the ground unusable or burning the people standing on it. Not something I was exactly looking to repeat, but it seems we don't have a choice. At least this time the lava is a lot more predictable, and it's more steam than lava?"

"Robin!" Azura gasped, clearly taken aback.

Corrin had a similar shocked expression on her face. "Uh, wow. That sounds...scary. Is that one of the things you have regrets about? Taking your allies into such a dangerous place? Especially if they got burnt by their surroundings. I can't imagine what a lava burn would feel like…"

"Oh it'll kill you if any significant amount falls on you," Robin said bluntly. Corrin's jaw dropped. "Small amounts though weren't as bad? I don't know. There were some guys that looked like they were in the path of some shooting lava that kept on fighting. But that might have been because they weren't hit. I'm not sure. But yeah, imagining a lava burn is painful enough, actually feeling one… Ouch."

"So you do regret it then?"

"Hell no. That plan worked out great. Yeah the fighting sucked because it was really uncomfortable being in a volcano, but none of _my_ allies got hit by lava, and we won the battle way faster and with way fewer casualties than we would have if we'd fought outside. Not to mention it was pretty cool. Those are some memories I'll have for a while."

"I...suppose you will," Azura responded.

"Yeah. Hopefully this time the ground will be more stable and we'll have fewer people falling into pools of lava because the ground crumbled under them. Listening to people fall was not a pleasant sound. So avoiding that would be nice."

"Robin!"

It was Corrin to shout that time, and Robin looked over to her with a frown.

What, he was just being honest! And a little bit morbid if he was telling the truth. Was the situation weighing so heavily on him that he was acting oddly? Was he so tired that he didn't have the filter he normally did? Or was it because of Grima's influence on him? Robin hadn't tried to see if the dragon had woken up for a few days. Maybe Grima had come back and was rubbing off on Robin again.

Robin couldn't know for sure, though. He didn't have a very good sense for whether Grima was active or not. He hadn't noticed much before his scene on the boat, and he didn't feel off now. The only way he could check to see if Grima was conscious again was to yell in his head something to the effect of, 'Hey, any Fell Dragons up and about right now!?' and Grima could choose not to respond to that if he didn't want to. So maybe Grima was up and taking in what Robin was, his thoughts rubbing off on Robin. Or maybe that was something that could happen subconsciously, whether or not Grima was awake or trying to influence Robin.

Or, like he said, the extra morbidity could be all Robin's fault. For now he would blame Grima. If the dragon was awake then it was up to him to defend himself, and it would alert Robin to Grima's presence. If he wasn't, then it didn't matter anyway.

"Ah, sorry. I have a headache right now, so some of the stuff I'm saying might be a little off. That was too harsh."

"Don't worry about it." Corrin gave a small wave. "We're all tired right now. I wouldn't let Hayato know about the ground thing though. He's scared enough as it is. Though, now that I think about it, didn't you tell him that you were sure the lava wouldn't hit us? With what you just said, you don't sound 'absolutely' positive."

Robin shrugged. "Well… I'm mostly positive. Like I said, the lava and steam have consistently been coming from very clear areas. As long as we stay away from those and things continue as they have, we should be absolutely fine. Besides, we're far enough in that we can't get out quickly, so worrying about getting hit when we can't prevent it won't help us. Just think about other things and keep your mind clear."

"How...reassuring." Azura didn't sound very confident in her response.

Robin shrugged again. "It's as reassuring as this is going to get."

"I'll take what I can, then."

They kept walking for another fifteen minutes, chatting about whatever came to mind. Some was about their journey, some was about little details of their pasts. Thankfully, it didn't get any hotter, and the lava and steam followed the same pattern they had before. The area was barren, so there was nothing interesting to look at. A boring trip, if you asked Robin. Maybe some people would like the lava (such as Rinkah, who looked like she was having the time of her life), but he'd seen enough and wasn't having any more fun walking past it than he had in the past. At least in the desert he'd see little lizards and creatures scurrying about or flying up above. Here…there was nothing.

"Do you have any idea of whether Reina managed to make it to Hoshido and gain my sibling's support yet?" Corrin asked near the end of their conversation.

Azura shook her head. "No. We haven't received any communication from her, but we've been on the move so she wouldn't have sent anything. It couldn't get to us."

"Besides, if we'd heard something before now we would've told you." Robin explained. " _You're_ the leader of this army, not either of us. We're the support. So don't worry, if we find anything important out we'll tell you. Both in this instance and later ones."

Hadn't she gotten the idea that he trusted her into her head already? Why was she so doubtful?

...Maybe it was an effect of finding out that pretty much her whole life was a lie. That would make it hard to trust people, most certainly. And he hadn't been entirely truthful with her from the past. And withheld information.

But still, he'd promised to be honest with her in the future, so it was time for her to lift her head up and believe in that!

"I know, I know! I just was hoping you'd forgotten to tell me or something! Reina not being here isn't good for any of us, so I was trying to hold onto the hope that we knew she was on her way," Corrin responded.

"That's reasonable," Azura said.

Corrin nodded, and posed another question. "Where did you ask Reina to meet us, anyway? At the spot we jumped, or in the area we're crossing through right now?"

"Anywhere in the general region, really."

"Ah."

Maybe he should have been more specific. If he'd told her to meet them in the hot spring (aka lava) region, then they'd know if she was on time or not by now. And if he'd told her to meet them at the jump point, they'd know whether she was on time and accompanied by Ryoma and crew by the time they reached that area. As it was, there was a chance they could pass each other without realizing it. Hopefully that wouldn't be the course of events.

"Robin!" Subaki's voice cried, drawing the tactician's eyes up to where Subaki was flying down from. "I've spotted a group of soldiers approaching us that appear the be Hoshidan!"

"Seriously!?" Corrin shouted back, eyebrows rocketing upwards. "That's… really great timing!"

Azura didn't look as optimistic. "Subaki said he saw soldiers approaching, not that the soldiers were particularly close. They could still be a ways away, which they likely are based on how far ahead Subaki was ordered to scout and the fact that we can't see them yet."

"That last part doesn't mean as much as it normally would though," Robin replied.

"How so?"

"With all this steam and the slight incline, our eyes can't see nearly as far into the distance as we would in a flatter place on a clear day. They may be fairly close, as I, and probably Corrin, hope for."

Corrin gave a few words of confirmation, and Subaki landed next to them.

Gesturing to the direction Subaki had come from, Corrin asked the pegasus knight for more details. "How far out are the Hoshidans? And have you spotted Reina or my brother among them?"

"The steam was making it hard for me to see them, but I did see a blue shape on a Kinshi that could be Reina. As for Prince Ryoma, he wears red armor which makes it hard to distinguish from the ground and lava around here," Subaki explained.

Corrin's face fell. "Ah, then you don't know whether my brother is on his way?" She sounded quite disappointed.

"Ah, ah, ah! I didn't say that. I wouldn't be the great knight I am if I were unable to identify my crown prince! Thankfully, my perfect eyes were able to make out the white of his garments next to the gleam of his red armor, so your brother is most assuredly on his way."

"How long do you think it'll take our forces to meet up?"

"Mmm, it depends. I'd say… twenty to thirty-five minutes. If both they and us keep at our current pace."

"Thank you Subaki," Corrin said with a slight bow. Subaki responded with his own, slightly deeper bow.

The pegasus knight then directed his mount toward Sakura, where he began to speak with the princess.

It was then that Beruka landed beside them, having come back from her own scouting mission. In addition to Ryoma and the Hoshidans, Corrin's army was waiting on Xander and the Nohrians to meet them.

Xander had heard the request back during the port battle, after all, so they hadn't sent him a reminder. It was too much of a detour. Plus, there simply wasn't enough time to make it to the heart of Nohr and back to the Bottomless Canyon before the skies turned. Either Xander had left before Corrin's messenger would've reached Castle Krakenburg and he would come, or he had decided not to come and wouldn't be joining them.

Beruka's message was short and emotionless. "Nohrian troops are approaching from the west."

"Great! So Xander _is_ on his way." Corrin had a smile on her face as did a small fist pump.

"Negative," Beruka corrected. "There were no mounted troops with the Nohrians. Just foot soldiers. Prince Xander was not with them."

Corrin's hand dropped. Robin frowned.

"Why would there be Nohrians coming for us then…?"

"Hans was among them. He might have found out about our path and received orders from King Garon to stop us, as we've been declared enemies of Nohr."

Robin let out a small curse. Azura gave an agitated sigh from her spot on the other side of Corrin.

Corrin herself kept quiet, asking Beruka how long she thought it would take Hans' group to arrive.

"Twenty five minutes. With five minutes on either side," was the curt response.

"That puts Hans as arriving in the same window as the Hoshidans," Azura remarked.

"Except with five minutes less tacked onto the end," Robin added.

"Yes," Corrin said, "But they also have five minutes more on the beginning. Maybe the Hoshidans will arrive first!"

With a small chuckle, Robin shrugged. "If you say so. For now we need to get to somewhere we can battle without risking too much injury from the steam and lava. I'll go yell at everyone to get prepared. Beruka, can you look for a suitable place?"

"Yes."

Beruka then took off, and Robin began to alert the others to prepare for battle.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **I don't like this chapter very much... Both this chapter that I've written, and the in-game chapter. The fire place. Areas like that kind of depress me to be honest. I'm not sure how I'm going to make things go. I thought giant fire walls were weird so I made it lava and steam spurts, which aren't practical because if you get that close to lava in real life you'll burn up and die, but whatever. This is a video game. It's fantasy. Good enough.**

 **Originally posted November 1st, 2018. Word count: 8,291, not including author's notes.**

 **Until next time, Mariyekos.**


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